charities that pickup and deliver

Chrysalis

I am looking for a charity who will come to pickup donations, seems mad none do this. Also if possible any who deliver, typically this is for clothing items.

Smiley_Mum

Most charities collect as far as I am aware. We have a Heart Foundation furniture store that delivers items you get at the local store. I know that Blythswood collect donations if you have a store nearby.

Chrysalis

thanks, seems Blythswood not even in my region.

The ones I have tried are.

help the aged
oxfam
loros
age concern
and rspca

none will pick up.

I did send a donation to loros last year at high expense £14 parcelforce but was angry to discover parcelforce had stole some of the clothes before loros got them so wont be doing that again.

Mr_Falling_Star

St Vincent de Paul may pick up, they certainly deliver

http://www.svp.org.uk/02whatwedo/furniturestores.htm

McKneff

Sue Ryder pick up and deliver.

Social Services in your area may be interested in any furniture you have.

oldtoolie

The £14 ParcelForce charge shows why most charities do not collect. Lorry, driver, insurance -- it adds up. Profit from charity shops for the sponsoring charity is only about 25% so they have to watch the overhead costs.

Unless your clothes were high value designer items, you probably would have contributed more to the charity by sending them a cheque.

Perhaps you have a charitable friend or relative with a car? Or could you take small bags with you to drop off when you go out shopping?

Chocolate80

Or even drop the clothes etc off at a clothing bank in your supermarket car park.

Savvy_Sue

I suspect it varies from one area to another. In Bristol St Peter's Hospice will collect, but then they have shops on every other corner, so they NEED a high volume, and they have a large number of outlets. So for them it is probably cost effective.

There are 2 or 3 places will collect furniture and electricals, but they can seem a bit picky - but from their point of view there is no point in them picking up furniture which they KNOW they cannot sell (eg without a current fire regs label) because they will then have to pay to dispose of it.

emz68

sometimes we get bags left for us to put clothes in i only trust the ones like "great ormond street hospital" as we get alot put threw our door which are profit making charitys from abroad i dont mind things going abroad but some only split proceeds with charitys.

Chrysalis

bungle4x4 wrote: »

keep the charities costs down, and drop it off. otherwise the items you are givings value's will be eaten up in the collection/delivery process.

dropping it off not possible, mobility issues. Obviously parcelforce is expensive as royal mail have to make a profit.

However I would expect if they had their own vehicle and if especially if they used staff vehicles the costs would be minimal.

Some clothes I would have donated if they picked up were sold for excess of £50 on ebay. Cash donations are a problem as well, the charities now days dont seem to accept one off donations readily and just want direct debits setup.

Savvy_Sue

Chrysalis wrote: »

However I would expect if they had their own vehicle and if especially if they used staff vehicles the costs would be minimal.

Actually it's not quite as simple as sending a staff member out in their own car.

1. If the car is being used for 'business', then the staff member has to ensure that they have insurance cover for that, and if that leads to an increase in their insurance then it's only right that the organisation reimburses them.
2. The organisation ought to have sight of the insurance policy, and evidence that the vehicle is taxed and MOTed, and that the staff member has a valid driving licence, and record this somewhere, which all takes time.
3. You need policies risk assessments in place - what to do if the pickup is too heavy for one person? The giver has stayed in particularly for you to pick up, but now you're saying you've got to come back? So do you always send 2 people?
4. Unless you employ someone just to do collections, while the staff member is out doing a collection, who's doing their job?
5. Once back at base, someone has to sort through the donation, and if you then find that it's not saleable / useable, you've then got disposal costs. (Not suggesting yours wouldn't be suitable, but you'd be surprised ...)

And so on ...

Chrysalis wrote: »

Some clothes I would have donated if they picked up were sold for excess of £50 on ebay.

You can donate either the whole or part of your ebay income from any particular sale to a charity. If you were willing / able to do that, it's an excellent solution!

Chrysalis wrote: »

Cash donations are a problem as well, the charities now days dont seem to accept one off donations readily and just want direct debits setup.

Gosh, don't know which charities those are! The one I work for is very happy to have cash donations, one off cheque donations, random gifts into the bank ... you name it, we'll have it! Even the contents of your copper jar, although that's probably my least favourite as it's not easy to bank!

Also with many charities you can donate anonymously via JustGiving or similar sites.