STUDENTS preparing to move out of their term-time homes for the summer are being given a helping hand to dispose of preloved items and do their bit for charity.
Leicester City Council has teamed up with British Heart Foundation (BHF) to bring the charity’s ‘Pack for Good’ scheme to some of the city’s most popular student areas. Temporary reuse banks have been installed across twelve sites on streets close to the city’s two universities to encourage students to donate any items they no longer want and help the charity generate vital stock for their local shops and stores.
BHF shops are always in need of clothing, shoes, accessories, CDs, vinyl and Blu-rays, books, kitchenware, furniture and electricals.
Daniel Ward at the BHF, said: “We’re looking forward to working alongside Leicester City Council to encourage students to donate their preloved items to us. This will be a huge help to our shops in Leicester and I’d hope as many students as possible get involved and support the scheme.
The money raised by these donations helps the BHF fund lifesaving research into heart and circulatory diseases. In a year, the BHF saves over 57,000 tonnes of goods going to waste, including 13,000 tonnes of clothing. Through the reuse and recycling of donated items this helps prevent 130,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions being released into the atmosphere.
Deputy city mayor Cllr Elly Cutkelvin, who leads on neighbourhoods, said: “As students prepare to move out of their rented accommodation for the summer, they can face a bit of a challenge getting rid of the stuff they don’t want to take with them. The BHF’s Pack for Good scheme gives them the chance to donate any items that could be used again.
“It’s a really good way for students to get rid of their preloved items responsibly and charitably.”
Donation points for the BHF’s Pack for Good scheme will be in place from late May until early September. They will be located at Queens Road, Thurlow Road, Cradock Road, Putney Road, and on the corner of London Road and St Albans Road in Clarendon Park; at Westcotes library, Briton Street, Western Boulevard and Eastern Boulevard in Westcotes; and at Jarron Street, The Newarke and Bath Lane.
The council will also be supporting students by encouraging them to use the free bulky waste collection service to have any large items and additional bags of household waste removed.
For more information about the BHF Donation points or how to book a free bulky waste collection visit www.leicester.gov.uk/recycling