How Sunderland families can support charity Age UK with unwanted Christmas presents

Age UK, in the city’s Blandford Street, is encouraging families to donate their unwanted presents to the charity in order to support its vital services and also help the environment.

Every year, Brits receive an average of two unwanted Christmas presents each, according to the Gift Card & Voucher Association.

These unwanted gifts equate to more than 119.5 million presents that miss the mark – and of these, around 22.7 million are sent to landfill.

Christine Holmes, shop manager for Age UK in Sunderland, added: “It can be difficult to know what to do with gifts that will never be used, or that you don’t want.

"As a nation we are more environmentally aware than ever before, so instead of chucking or hiding them away, we are encouraging local residents to donate them to the Age UK shop in Blanford Street."

To help ensure the Age UK shop in Sunderland is able to sell on your items and help to reduce landfill waste, the charity has compiled a list of top tips for people looking to donate.

*Check before you donate

Age UK shops sell a range of clothing and accessories, books, toys, household items and shoes. Check with your local shop before donating. Shop teams will be happy to tell you what they need, or can and can’t sell.

*Wash and dry clothing before donating

Many charity shops find themselves dealing with damaged or soiled items, which is a waste of time and can be unpleasant for staff and volunteers. Before donating any clothes please ensure they are clean and dry.

*Check the quality before donating

Also check the quality of clothing and other items – if there are stains, or tears or an item is missing (for example a button or a piece from a game), it’s unlikely that they can be sold.

*Donate directly to a charity shop

Charity shops are often able to sell clothing on to other markets.

Support your Echo and become a subscriber today.

Enjoy unlimited access to all of our news and sport, see fewer ads, experience faster load times, test your brain with daily puzzles and get access to exclusive newsletters.

Your support for our journalism means we can continue telling Sunderland’s stories for generations to come. Click here to subscribe - and click here to get a snapshot of the Echo’s news and sport to your inbox through our email newsletters.