Guide to donating
Our top tips
What can I donate to St Luke’s?
We can accept many things but items must be of saleable quality. The list below includes many of the items that we can use to raise vital funds for St Luke’s.
- Clothing, paired shoes, handbags and belts.
- Household furniture. We can accept most items but sofas, armchair’s, upholstered dining chairs and beds can only be accepted if they still have the original fire safety regulation label attached, unless pre 1950’s. Otherwise it is illegal for us to sell them in our shops. They also need to be in a sellable condition (no rips, stains or tears).
- Any make, model, age and condition of mobile phone.
- Computer games and vinyl records.
- Curtains, towels, tea towels and bedding.
- Kitchen appliances such as kettles, toasters, mixers, blenders, liquidisers, food processors, coffee makers, juicers etc.
- Small household electrical – lamps, hairdryers, hair straighteners, CD players, consoles etc.
- We also accept crockery, glassware, cutlery, ornaments, pictures, books, toys, puzzles and more.
What can’t St Luke’s accept?
There are items that we cannot accept, which is mainly due to Health and Safety and Trading Standards legislations. Also items that are clearly unsellable and that can’t be locally recycled will cost the charity money to dispose of.
These items are:
- Children’s car seats, prams and buggies
- Gas cookers
- Greetings cards
- Cycle, riding or crash helmets
- Buoyancy aids
- Any safety equipment
- Oil filled items – such as lamps or radiators
- Prescription medication
- Hazardous waste – paints, solvents, adhesives or cleaning agents
- Toys without a CE mark
- Soft furnishings without fire regulations
- VHS / Video cassettes
- Pianos / electric organs
- Greenhouses
- Flammable liquids
- Asbestos
- Soil / hardcore
- Gas bottles
- Bread makers
- Foot spas
- Mattresses
St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth reserves the right to refuse any donation that is on the above list, or is deemed by us as unsellable.
If you have something that you’d like to donate to us, but it isn’t mentioned above please contact us and we will happily help you.
Check for fire labels
We can only accept upholstered items if there is a label attached that lets us know it meets UK safety standards.
Mattresses and upholstered bed bases have to be in a good clean condition with no rips, tears or stains. The items must also have a fire label sewn in, which refers to BS7177 – which is the British safety specification for resistance to ignition of mattresses, divans and bed bases.
Fire safety labels
There are two versions of a fire label as shown below. They are permanent and will be sewn into or stapled to the item. Unfortunately we cannot accept items where the labels are not on each individual item. The fire label may be on any external surface of the item including underneath removable seating and cushions.
Image courtesy of Furnistore.co.uk
Postcodes we collect from
We sell donated furniture in our shops to raise vital funds needed to provide our specialist end of life care. To see if you are eligible for furniture collection, please click here.
If we are unable to collect your items, visit Recycle Now to find out what to do with specific items and where to recycle them.
Gift Aid your donations to help us generate more for patient care
Boost your donations by 25% with Gift Aid
Did you know that by adding Gift Aid, your donations are worth 25% more to us? Gift Aid helps us care for more people in your community at no extra cost to you.
Gift Aid adds 25% value to your donations; whether they’re clothes, books, chairs or a sofa.
Sign up today! It only takes two minutes and costs you nothing.
Download our Gift Aid form
What is Gift Aid?
• Gift Aid is a scheme run by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) that means charities like St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth can reclaim the tax on your donations at no extra cost to you.
• This means all your donations will be worth 25% more. So if your donations sell for £10, we will actually receive £12.50.
Who can become a Gift Aider?
• You must be a current UK taxpayer, but this is not limited to tax on earnings.
• You also qualify if you pay tax on a pension, savings, property sales or rental income. Council Tax and VAT will not qualify as income tax.
• You only need to have paid as much in tax as St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth will reclaim on your donations.
• Make sure you’re happy with our Gift Aid terms and conditions.
How do I become a Gift Aider?
• Download our form at home, print it out, fill in your details and bring to your local shop.
• or fill in the form found in every St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth donation bag and place it at the very top of your filled bag.
• or take two minutes to register via the till system in any of our shops. We will never share your details with third parties.
How much value has Gift Aid added to my donations?
• When your donations have sold we’ll write to you annually to let you know how much they have raised
• If you are currently receiving letters about Gift Aid from us and would rather be contacted by email you can change you preferences by emailing us at
retail@stlukes-hospice.org.uk
Does your item not appear on the list or unsure if St Luke’s can accept it? Click contact us below
