Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice is sending out a Clear Out Your Clutter appeal to businesses:
Whether it’s last-season’s fashions from a boutique, discontinued lines languishing in a manufacturer’s warehouse or redundant IT equipment, the hospice’s eBay team can turn company clutter to hospice cash.
Since it set up seven years ago the eBay department has brought in over £200,000.
This year income has grown and an additional member of staff has been set on.
“If you no longer need it, let us list it,” said Sue Brown, the hospice’s eBay administrator.
“With at least 140 listings running at any one time, we need a constant supply of quality goods.”
Companies the hospice’s corporate fundraising team has strong relationships with have already been very generous.
“There could be many more businesses in the region with anything from end-of-line stock to outdated office equipment stored in cupboards and stockrooms, or destined for a skip,” said Sue.
“They may not realise how valuable it could be to their local children’s hospice.
“We want them to recycle, repurpose and help our families at the same time.”
The hospice needs to raise £4million every year to keep services running.
A recent donation of 150 old computer keyboards from the Sheffield headquarters of Elecomm who provide total solutions for the electrical and communication industry, netted the hospice a significant amount of money. Elecomm also donated roof-racks when re-equipping its fleet of vans which raised an additional £1,000.
The company, which has raised nearly £15,000 for Bluebell Wood, was delighted.
“The items were surplus to requirements. We were going to recycle them, then realised the hospice could earn money from doing the same thing,” commented John Hamilton, Supply Chain Director at Elecomm.
“This is something every business should do with their unwanted equipment, instead of wasting something by throwing it away or sticking it in storage.”
Other corporate donations include nine iPods from IT specialists Proact, 30 bar stools from a business who refurbished their canteen and 2,500 pairs of rainbow-coloured shoe laces leftover from a company’s promotion campaign.
Already 1,400 pairs have sold at £2.50 a time – proving there really is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Said Hospice Head of Retail Sunny Allison: “It is important that, in addition to relying on the goodwill and generosity of fundraisers, the hospice has its own income stream. We have a chain of charity shops in local communities, but selling on eBay enables us to reach customers across the world.”
Items for donation can be collected from the South Yorkshire region or brought to hospice reception by prior arrangement. Call 01909 5174360 to arrange.
