A fundraising scheme to make the most of unwanted clothes is set to get underway in Wearside.
Clothing donation points are to be sited across the city in a joint initiative between Sunderland’s BIDs, Fundraise & Recycle and the city’s Foundation of Light.
And all money raised from the sale of the donated clothes will be donated to the Foundation of Light, to support people from all walks of life, to live happier and healthier lives.
The banks will be sited in three locations, with one at the Beacon of Light main entrance and the others at points yet to be confirmed at the seafront and Holmeside, in the city centre.
The clothes will be collected, sorted and packaged in Sunderland before being sold either to wholesalers or directly to consumers across the UK and abroad.
And those that aren’t suitable for re-sale will be cut up into rags and sold to cleaning companies and industries such as engineering and mechanics to reduce as much waste as possible.
Any football related items donated – such as shirts, shorts, shin pads, socks and boots - will be handed to the Foundation to be reused or repurposed.
The initiative is the brainchild of Sharon Appleby, Chief Executive of Sunderland BIDs – which include the City Centre BID and the Seafront BID – and Clare Wilson, Chief Commercial and Fundraising Officer at Foundation of Light.
“Our aim with this initiative is multi-faceted,” said Sharon. “It’s a public service that we very much hope people will use and it will benefit not only our city but communities further afield.
“And it is also environmentally sound. It really is common sense put into practice.”
Clare added: “At Foundation of Light, supporting our communities is at the heart of everything we do and we’re proud to share that commitment with Sunderland BIDs and Fundraise & Recycle through this initiative.
“By working together, we can promote more sustainable habits through the reuse of unwanted clothing while raising vital funds to support our programmes across the region and the people who need them most.”
Not only do the clothing banks carry each organisation’s branding, but they are fully interactive with a QR code on the front.
Donors can scan this to learn how many kilos of clothes that specific bank has recycled, how much money it has raised, and how much C02 it has prevented from entering the atmosphere.
Fundraise & Recycle – which will operate the banks - is also committed to raising awareness of them and the hope is that the scheme can be expanded to include more banks as it grows.
David Kristopaitis, Managing Director of Fundraise and Recycle, said: “We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with Sunderland’s BIDs and the Foundation of Light.
“These are two organisations that do incredible work for the city and its communities.
“This partnership brings together our shared commitment to making a positive impact and we can’t wait to see the difference our clothes banks will make.”