Clothes recycling in Bedfordshire raises over £148,000 for charity

Communities across the county have helped Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (BFRS) raise an incredible £143,368 for The Fire Fighters Charity through clothes recycling banks.

Last year alone almost £14,000 was raised through The Fire Fighter’s Charity clothing banks in Bedfordshire – the highest total ever since the scheme’s inception. Since 2010, a total of 719 tonnes of clothing has been donated at 13 clothes banks across the county. These donations not only raise money but divert clothing from landfill.

Josh Matthews, Watch Commander at Dunstable and Fire Fighter Charity Service Coordinator for Bedfordshire said: “These latest figures are a huge boost to the charity, and we are incredibly thankful to everyone who has donated through our donation banks.

“This nationwide initiative not only enables The Fire Fighters Charity to support thousands of fire and rescue service personnel with their health and well-being when they need it most, but also diverts a huge amount of unwanted clothing away from landfills.

BFRS has clothes recycling banks at the following fire stations: Ampthill, Bedford, Biggleswade, Dunstable, Harrold, Kempston, Leighton Buzzard, Luton, Potton, Sandy, Shefford, Toddington and Woburn. At these banks, the public can donate clothing including socks, coats, underwear, paired shoes, handbags and linen.

Clothes recycling is an important income stream for The Fire Fighters Charity. Since its inception in 2009, it has generated over £7million across the whole of the UK during this time.