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Stagger donations, charity shops urge, amid fears they will be 'full to bursting' after lockdown

charity shop -  PHIL NOBLE/Reuters
charity shop - PHIL NOBLE/Reuters
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter .
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter .

Charity shops are asking customers to stagger the times they drop off donations amid fears they will be “full to bursting” after the coronavirus lockdown.

Many of Britain’s second-hand high street favourites are preparing to reopen their doors for the first time in months on June 15 in line with the latest Government guidance.

However the charity sector fears a deluge of donations will be dumped on their doorsteps as soon as they reopen after many people have used the lockdown to clean out their homes.

Robin Osterley, chief executive of the Charity Retail Association, says shops are expecting to be "full to bursting".

"We're not just anticipating a normal three months' worth of donations but also the extra stuff that people may have picked out to donate during their clean-ups," he added.

The Charity Retail Association urged people to be “thoughtful” about what they donate.

Barnardo’s, which has planned a phased reopening of 70 of its 710 shops in England from June 15, said they are preparing for an “influx” of donations as many people have spent the lockdown doing “a little tidying and sorting around the house”.

“To help manage this we are advising our customers to call their local store before taking any donations to ensure the shop is able to take the items,” the charity said.

Barnardo’s will also be installing perspex screens at till points and hand sanitiser stations at the entrance of stores, as well as closing changing rooms in an effort to prevent transmission of the virus.

Oxfam, which is yet to decide when it will start opening its 650 shops, is asking customers to stagger donations to avoid items being left outside.

"We welcome that many people are taking the opportunity to de-clutter during lockdown and are asking people to hold on to those items and donate them when shops and donation banks are open again," the charity said in a statement.

Julie Byard, director of trading at Cancer Research UK, said: “We’re planning significant safety measures and putting new processes in place to receive and handle donations. These include installing hand sanitiser stations, cough guards, contactless payment and face coverings for staff, as well as floor markings inside our larger superstores and social distancing mapping for the front and back of each of our 600 shops. We will still be accepting donated items as usual and they will have an isolation period before they’re sorted to be sold.

“We’re anticipating a phased reopening of our shops commencing the week of 29 June, with variations across the devolved nations. We'd encourage communities to keep an eye out for their local shop’s reopening date which is when they can accept donations again."

Do you have a large number of items to donate to your local charity shop when it reopens? Tell us in the comments section below.