Charity view

Focus on St Michael's Hospice Herefordshire

Ever wondered what happens when you donate clothes to charity shops? Here we focus on St Michael's Hospice.

When a bag of donated goods enters the shop this is what happens:

• The bag is tipped onto a sorting table in the back room
• If the items are clothing they are checked for wear, stains or holes.
• If the clothing is suitable for the season (winter or summer) it is hung on the correct hanger for steaming – if necessary
• After steaming it is marked with the size and a price ticket attached
• The item of clothing will then be put out for sale
• If the item is not for that season then it will go into a white bag for storage
• If the item is not suitable for sale it will go into a blue bag for the textile recycling company

St Michael's Hospice presently uses Bristol Textile Recyclers (BTR) who collect their rag bags on a weekly basis.  The bags are weighed and the charity receives money per kilo.  This equates to an income for St Michael's Hospice of around £85,000 per annum.

The textiles are then transported to BTR’s warehouse in Bristol where they are graded into different levels of material and quality.  The materials that are faded are cut into industrial wipes. The good textiles are then graded and depending on their content will be baled for sale. White cottons tend to go to Africa, velvets and satins go to India and Pakistan and denim tends to stay in this country for market stall holders.  Very little ends up in landfill.