Planning on clearing out your wardrobe? With the arrival of spring, it’s the perfect time for a fresh start.

Not only is it a great way to declutter, but you can also help make a difference by donating your pre-loved items to charity as part of the University’s Don’t Ditch It campaign.

British Heart Foundation

As part of the campaign, everyone is encouraged to donate unwanted clothing or household items to help either ReStore Lancaster or the British Heart Foundation (BHF). You can drop off items either at the ReStore shop in Alexandra Square, or use one of the new BHF donation bins, dotted around campus.

Donations can either be brought onto campus or can be dropped off at one of the charity shops in Lancaster City Centre.

What you can donate

The donation bins accept donations of:

• Clothing
• Shoes and accessories
• Kitchen items
• Books
• Electricals

BHF cannot accept donations of duvets, pillows, broken or dirty items, food, or knives.

ReStore has a donation unit inside the shop that accepts clothing, small home items, clean bras, used pens and foodbank items.

Donation locations

You can find a map of our British Heart Foundation donation bins on mazemap. They are located in the following areas:

• Bowland Hall Avenue (near the Welcome Centre)
• Lancaster Square Avenue (County College)
• Furness accommodation
• Fylde accommodation
• Pendle Avenue (near Grizedale Bar)
• Graduate Avenue

You can also donate at ReStore Lancaster in Alexandra Square during opening hours Monday-Friday, 11am-5pm.

Food donations

If you have any unopened, non-perishable food such as tins and dried food, you can donate this too. You can donate these items to the College Community Cupboards inside each college.

How does it help?

BHF estimates that each donated bag raises £14 in money for their research and makes a real difference in helping to support a range of services. For example:

• 10 bags could fund a full day’s BHF heart nursing care.
• 100 bags could help find a cure by funding a young scientist for seven days.
• 1,000 bags could help 40 young heart patients to gain independence.

Find out more about the University’s commitment to sustainability or about ReStore Lancaster on campus.