Courier readers are being asked to part with their pre-loved purchases to raise vital funds for the UK’s leading end of life charity.
The Marie Curie Spring Clean appeal gathers high-quality, undamaged items which can be sold in the charity’s local shops in Arbroath and Perth.
Last year’s appeal saw almost 750 bags donated in less than a week, thanks to the generosity of Courier readers.
However, Marie Curie spent a quarter of a million pounds disposing of waste items that could not be sold – with one particularly unusual flying donation!
Broughty Ferry Marie Curie patron, Petra McMillan, says: “Courier readers really came up trumps for us last year.
“We had some fantastic donations, including designer clothing, handbags and shoes, a vintage sewing machine, golf clubs – single items that really impact on our bottom line.
“We know the last thing our supporters want is for their donation to cost us money.
“So, we know they will appreciate it when we say, ‘Please think twice before you donate – is this something you’d like to buy again yourself in one of our shops?’
‘The budgie – alive and chirping – was still in the cage!’
“We had one person who donated a bird cage. Unfortunately the budgie – alive and chirping – was still in it.
“Thankfully the SSPCA stepped in, I’m not quite sure how we would have priced that one…”
Based at Jessie’s Kitchen in Broughty Ferry and supported by Bank of Scotland staff from Dundee, Angus, Perthshire and Fife, 2021’s Marie Curie Spring Clean appeal was launched during lockdown when all charity shops were closed.
The appeal saw Petra swamped with hundreds of donations in a matter of days.
Money raised helps fund free professional nursing care for terminally ill people in their own homes.
This year, Petra hopes to hone the harvest by asking donors to refocus on what they give: “High-quality items, luxury handbags, shoes or outfits, or well-packaged china or crystal, for example.”
Cutting down on waste
At one time, charities could bank on the average bag of donations earning around £30.
Today that’s dropped closer to £8, as more people donate more goods which charities just can’t sell.
The £250,000 spent disposing of waste items in 2021 could have provided free professional nursing care to terminally ill people at home, or in one of their nine UK hospices.
The Marie Curie Spring Clean appeal runs from March 11 to 13 and March 18 to 20 at Jessie’s Kitchen.
Donors are asked to package their goods, as if for a house move, in two water-tight bags.
