Concerned about the clothing crisis? Re-home your clothes on campus

‘Concerned about the clothing crisis? Re-home your clothes on campus’ written by Dominic Parry, edit and images by Becky Adams.

Re-home your clothes on campus

Giving your clothes a second lease on life is a great way to get rid of your unwanted clothes, and also help the environment. You can easily re-home your clothes on campus at the University of Worcester, using the British Heart Foundation (BHF) clothing banks, located on campus. Participating in the ‘Pack for Good’ campaign, means that your donated clothes not only go to a good cause, but also save tonnes of textiles from ending up in landfill. You can also donate your time by volunteering at your local BHF charity shop this holiday season. Using our convenient clothing banks on campus is a simple way to help in the University’s mission to minimise clothing waste.

Image credits: Becky Adams. British Heart Foundation donation points on St Johns campus, University of Worcester. Located outside the Student Union and Student Accommodation.

Where can you re-home your clothes?

If you’re living or learning on St Johns campus you have two sets of clothes banks to choose from. The first is located outside student halls, the left of the accommodation hub. The second is at the rear of the Hangar/Student Union, near the bus stop. You can also find a clothing back outside student halls, on City campus.

Map showing British Heart Foundation donation points on St Johns Campus

Image credits: University of Worcester. Map of St John’s campus. Locations of British Heart Foundation collection points are indicated.

What happens to your donated clothes?

Donating your old clothes is a great way to give your pre-loved outfits a second lease on life. The campus clothing banks are run by the British Heart Foundation, and the clothes donated go directly to charity. Charities have been hit particularly hard from the pandemic, and this is why the University aims to maintain the number of re-use bags sent to BHF at 715. This year, BHF saved 71,000 tonnes of goods going to waste. Your clothing donations can stop your goods ending up in landfill, while also saving greenhouse gas emissions. So, not only are your clothes going to a good cause, they are also helping the environment.

How much can your clothes raise?

Since becoming a part of the Pack for Good campaign in 2021, the university has managed to raise £49,336 for the BHF, to help fund research into heart and circulatory diseases. With your donations, the amount of money raised can only go higher. On average the bags that the university donates make around £14. The student population in 2019/20 was 10,179. So, if every one of those students had donated one bag each, we could have raised a total of £142,500. A small action can make a huge difference, and the University options for rehoming clothes on campus are one way of making a big change.

Volunteering at the British Heart Foundation

Not only can you donate your clothes to the British Heart Foundation, you can also donate your time. BHF are appealing for volunteers to help our this Christmas, as the pandemic has result in a loss of more than 2,500 volunteers. There are many reasons to volunteer. Not only does volunteering look great on your CV, it is a fantastic way to help a great cause in your spare time, as every hour helps to raise money to support those with heart and circulatory diseases. You can support your local store this holiday season, by filling in an application here.