PEOPLE THROUGHOUT Fife are being urged to donate unwanted items and Sign On The Line at Sue Ryder Care shops in Dunfermline and St Andrews to help the charity reclaim £1 million extra from the Government.

The healthcare charity is mounting a campaign to raise awareness of how signing a simple Gift Aid declaration form can boost the value of donations to its 370 shops by 28%.

Since becoming the first charity in the UK to enable tax-efficient giving on items such as clothes, bric-a-brac and books in its 370 shops last November, Sue Ryder Care has secured an additional £600,000 from the tax man.

Now, through the Sign On The Line campaign, people are being urged to clear out their closets for their local shop, sign a form and help Sue Ryder Care reach its £1 million target.

The scheme is already proving a major success, with 60,000 people signing up across the UK and initial targets smashed.

Maureen Packard, business manager for west and central Scotland said, “It is such a simple way of raising extra money. For instance, if we sold a donated dress for £5, we could reclaim an additional £1.40, making the total value £6.40.

“Everyone has things they no longer need that other people would like— so we are saying don’t let that handbag or ornament gather dust, let us convert them into care.”

Sue Ryder Care needs to raise around £13 million in voluntary income each year to continue providing care for people with conditions including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, strokes and cancer.

*Pictured at the launch of the scheme in Dunfermline are Margaret Ure, manageress Ann Burrell, and Ivy and Duncan Grassick.