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Kate wants city to dig
deeper Kate Atkinson, whose books include Behind The Scenes at the Museum, is promoting a campaign by the Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise Partnership (LEEP) to make the Capital the most generous city in Europe. An estimated £1 million is generated for good causes by Edinburgh charity shops each year, but LEEP says clothes, books, furniture, electrical and household goods could be donated to dramatically boost this figure. Ms Atkinson, who lives locally, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for Edinburgh to get behind a really worthwhile campaign." We've got what it takes to be the most giving DOZENS of charities are urging the people of Edinburgh to help make the Capital the most generous city in Europe. And they are appealing to Evening News readers: "Give us what you don't want and we'll turn it into money." They believe thousands of tonnes of household items, textiles, bric-a-brac, books and electrical goods are being unnecessarily dumped in landfill sites when they could be sold, recycled or reused. Now 35 charities and re-use organisations have joined Lothian and Edinburgh Environmental Project (LEEP) to launch a major drive aimed at encouraging more of us to donate more of our unwanted goods - and help make the city the most generous city in Europe. The Generous City Campaign will be officially unveiled today , with the distribution of an essential guide to help would-be charity donors find the correct outlet for their donations. Which means it doubles as a handy map for bargain hunters, hoping to pick up cut-price nearly new - and often brand new - goods. The hope, explains LEEP charities liaison officer Jess Gildener, is partly to assist charity shops and aid organisations to save time, money and effort handling items they don't have facilities to sell. It's also anticipated it will encourage greater interest in recycling items which might otherwise simply be thrown away. "First of all we want to ask people to think hard before they throw anything away: is it something that could be good for a charity shop or a re-use project? "Secondly, we'd like them to think before they donate goods: are the items broken or chipped, will the shop have difficulty selling them?" she explains. "Finally, we want them to think about where they take their items - some shops just can't cope with large, bulky items, for example." Every year more than £1 million is raised for good causes in more than 100 charity shop outlets run by the 35 charities and re-use organisations across the city. Some donations go towards helping to furnish thousands of homes occupied by the city's most vulnerable people. Even damaged or surplus items which can't be sold for hard cash are usually recycled and turned into completely new items. But it's not just donations that the campaign wants to attract - more volunteers are also needed to help organisations sift through the thousands of items they receive every week. "We think there are at least 600 volunteers currently working in charity and reuse shops and facilities but there is scope for more," explains Jess. They not only work behind the shop counters. Some may be able to offer specialist skills repairing goods or simply collecting or delivering items. "In return, they get a lot out of it for themselves, they get out meeting people and also do something to help their community," adds Jess. Alison Sheppard, manager of the Barnado's charity shop on Gorgie Road, says there is always a need for extra pairs of hands. "We have volunteers from 20 to 80 years old, and we have one lady who has been here for 24 years, another for 22. "They all get companionship and they get great satisfaction from helping a good cause. They know they are coming here, giving up a bit of spare time and helping someone somewhere." The Gorgie Road shop is one of the larger Barnado's outlets, accepting textiles, books, furniture, electrical goods and even canoes. "That must have been the strangest donation - and we were happy to accept it," laughs Alison. "In fact, we offered to go and collect it. It was a 12-man canoe so it was really too big for the shop. However, we found another charity that was happy to take it, so it still went to a good cause. That said, we've currently got a pair of oars in the shop if anyone needs those!" While the shop is unlikely to turn anything away, there have been items that the staff simply couldn't sell. "Things like burned out saucepans aren't much good for anyone," says Alison, "but people do come with the right intentions so we don't turn them away." Items which shops can't possibly sell are generally bagged together and sent for recycling - for example, torn or stained textiles can be recycled and used for industrial clothes, mattress stuffing and even insulation. It is estimated that more than 5000 tonnes of goods are already diverted from landfill sites thanks to Edinburgh's thriving charity shops and re-use organisations, like Bits and Bobs Scrapstore which re-uses art, craft, play and DIY items, or The Bike Station which refurbishes bicycles and sells them or gives them to worthwhile groups. But LEEP believes that figure could be easily doubled - turning Edinburgh into Europe's kindest capital. The scheme has received the backing of Edinburgh-based Whitbread Award-winning author, Kate Atkinson. "This is a fantastic opportunity for Edinburgh to get behind a really worthwhile campaign that benefits over 35 charities," she says. "There are so many advantages to supporting charity shops and re-use projects - it cuts waste and raises money, thousands of customers can buy modern and vintage goods, and they offer great volunteering opportunities." So whether you're clearing
out cupboards or hunting for a bargain, take inspiration from the map
and help make Edinburgh the Generosity Capital of Europe. - Sandra Dick |
