New research, polling 2,000 Brits, reveals that nearly one in five (19%) of us will throw away unwanted but valuable items, rather than donating them to charity – with the key excuse for doing so being ‘a lack of time’.
However, another 20% of us admit wanting to do something charitable during the festive season, with 16% wanting to do more this year, in particular.
To raise awareness of the issue and take the hassle out of donating to charity, leading automated locker company InPost has teamed up with homelessness charity Shelter to launch Secret Senda.
The UK wide initiative rolls out today across InPost’s 2,500 Lockers making it easy for people to donate items to Shelter at no cost, helping to raise vital funds in the fight for home this winter.
According to Shelter, a household becomes homeless in England every four minutes, and last Christmas alone there were 120,000 children without a home and in temporary accommodation.
Until the 31st December, the public can take their unwanted items to their nearest InPost Locker, which are open 24/7. InPost then does the hard work by sending them on to Shelter at no cost to the customer to then be sold in Shelter’s network of charity shops. With the average Brit sitting on £400 of unwanted items, this could contribute to valuable income for Shelter.
Jason Tavaria, C.E.O of InPost commented, “We know there’s a real wish to support charities at this time of year, but the reality is that it’s often difficult to actually get to a charity shop during opening hours. We’re pleased to be able to launch this important initiative with Shelter, opening up our locker network for donations, 24/7.”
Andy Harris, director of fundraising from Shelter has commented, “We’re in the grips of a housing emergency, millions of people don’t have a secure home and thousands are homeless. A run-down, hostel where you have to share a bathroom with strangers is not a home, nor is a cramped flat with mould rising up the walls in an old industrial estate.
“Our frontline services are working harder than ever but we really need the public’s support to make sure we can be there for everyone who needs us. Good quality clothes, bags, shoes, accessories and homeware are all really welcome, and we’d like to thank people in advance for every donation, because every donation counts.”
All people need to do is choose what they’d like to donate, ensure it’s well packaged up – and visit the InPost website to get a mobile QR code. People can then use the code to unlock the locker and put the package inside, ready for collection by the InPost team. With 2,500 Lockers all over the country, the chances are you already pass one on your daily commute.
How to use Secret Senda:
Package up your unwanted items, making sure it’s secure and well-sealed in a box or bag
Click here to complete a few details and then get your QR code
Take your box and QR code to your nearest InPost Locker
Unlock the locker with your code and leave your package inside knowing that you’re helping in the fight for home this winter
