Age UK Leighton Buzzard invites community to support its 2022 Challenge

With the weather warming up, the Lake Street shop is issuing a plea to the local community to have a clear out of their winter wardrobes and continue donating their unwanted items so that its shelves will be fully stocked for the autumn.

The 2022 Challenge aims to help Age UK’s charity shops receive 2.2 million bags of donations by the end of the year, with funds raised going towards services such as Age UK’s Advice Line and its Telephone Friendship services.

Shop manager, Cathie Cassidy, said: “We are so grateful to our local community for the amount and variety of donations we have received since Age UK’s 2022 Challenge launched. It’s great that we’re on track at this halfway mark, but we don’t want to lose momentum.

“With the summer now upon us and many of us putting away our winter wardrobes, there has never been a better time to have a clear out and bag up the items you no longer need.

"Whether it’s a winter jumper taking up lots of space, a dress you won’t wear again, toys that haven’t been played with in years or books that are gathering dust, we will sell them on to be loved again, whilst also raising much-needed money to support older people.

"You’ll also be doing your bit for the environment too, as recycling items means that you’ll be helping to reduce waste that may otherwise end up in landfill.”

The Age UK shop in Leighton Buzzard is also encouraging people to make their donations worth an extra 25 per cent for the charity by signing up to Gift Aid.

Simply filling out a basic form when dropping off donations means Age UK will receive an extra 25p from the government for every £1 that is raised from donated goods, and it won’t cost customers a penny.

To find out more about Age UK’s Telephone Friendship services, and to be signposted to local Age UK services in your area, please call Age UK's Advice Line for free on 0800 169 6565 (open every day from 8am – 7pm), or visit: www.ageuk.org.uk/telephone-friendship