Items we do not accept

We greatly appreciate our supporters’ generosity in donation items to us. However, the primary purpose of our shops and our collection service is to help us raise funds. Therefore, items arranged for collection will be taken at the driver’s discretion based on our ability to sell them in our shops to raise funds to provide our vital care. This means that if an item is damaged, the driver or our shop team are likely to decide it is not saleable and therefore may not collect or accept it.

Condition of items

In summary, items must not have:

  • Physical damage larger than a 10p piece.
  • Visible rips to fabric or material.
  • Prominent stains or marks.
  • Missing parts or fixings (e.g. shelves).

For large items, we can only collect the item if it is small enough to fit through any exit, doorway, corridor or stairwell. Our collection teams cannot disassemble items.

There are some items we don’t accept at all for safety or legal reasons, and the following categories also have specific requirements with regards to condition:

Condition of soft furnishings

  • Must have a Fire Label attached to each item (unless an upholstered item is horsehair)
  • No rips, burns or tears on any part of the item.
  • All reclining mechanisms must be operational.
  • Material must not be discoloured or stained.
  • Leather must not have any large cracks to the surface.
  • Items which smell strongly will not be accepted.
  • Blinds must have a child-safe device (e.g. safety chain break, chain tensioning device, breakaway cord connector, cleats or anti-tangle toggles).

Condition of mattresses

  • Must be brand new.
  • Must have Fire Labels.

Condition of cupboards, sideboards and units

  • Built-in cupboards, worktops, kitchen units, are not accepted, whether new or used.
  • Large units must be disassembled for safe removal from a property by a two-person team, and must come with all the fixings required for reassembly.

Condition of tables

  • No deep, long or highly visible scratches or marks to table top.
  • Legs must not be excessively wobbly or insecure.
  • No staining to colour or peeling of veneer.

Condition of wardrobes

  • Flatpack wardrobes which have been disassembled will not be accepted.
  • Extremely fragile wardrobes which risk damage in transport cannot be accepted.

Condition of large electricals and white goods

  • Gas appliances are not accepted.
  • Full size electric cookers are not accepted.
  • Hot plates and small electric cookers are accepted providing they are powered using a mains plug.
  • All electrical items must have a plug attached and will not be accepted without a plug.
  • Fridges or freezers must be reasonably clean and defrosted. There should be no damage or smell to the interior.
  • Smaller electrical items must be free from obvious damage such as dents, cracks or missing parts.

Items we can’t accept at all, regardless of condition

Furniture and housewares we can’t accept

  • Built-in cupboards, worktops, or kitchen units
  • Gas appliances
  • Full size electric cookers
  • Bunk beds
  • Mattresses (unless brand new), divan beds, king-size or larger bed frames, bunk beds, cabin beds (unless with instructions) and IKEA beds
  • Wall units / display cabinets over 5ft – (unless splits in two)

Electrical items we can’t accept

  • Electric blankets
  • Electric showers
  • Sunbeds and tanning equipment
  • Waste disposal units
  • Power tools without instructions
  • Electric beds
  • Washing machines, tumble dryers
  • Fridges/freezers more than 5 years old
  • Video recorders

Heating and cooking items we can’t accept

  • Gas appliances (mains or bottled)
  • Hot plates
  • Gas cookers
  • Ovens with glass fronts/doors
  • Oil filled radiators (not supplied with a thermostat)
  • Oil heaters (mobile)
  • Storage heaters hardwired
  • Oil and gas Agas

Sports and safety equipment we can’t accept

  • Buoyancy aids, lifejackets, inflatable dinghies
  • Safety helmets, riding hats, crash helmets
  • Cycle helmets
  • Safety harnesses of any sort
  • Exercise equipment unless with instructions
  • Fire-fighting equipment

Children’s equipment we can’t accept

  • Children’s car and bike seats
  • Prams, pushchairs and buggies without fitting instructions or fire labels
  • Highchairs
  • Toys without a UKCA or CE mark

Software and hardware we can’t accept

  • Computers, monitors or printers
  • Home recorded DVDs, video and audio tapes
  • Home recorded computer games and software on recordable CDs and DVDs
  • Weapons
  • Knives
  • Swords, sword stocks, crossbows
  • Guns and ammunition (including replica guns)

Miscellaneous items we can’t accept

  • Personal appliances such as shavers, foot spas, etc (unless unused and in with original sealed box)
  • Duvets and pillows
  • Medication including vitamins
  • Perishable goods, food and drink
  • Prescription spectacles
  • Cleaning agents, solvents and adhesives
  • Ivory
  • Petrol or diesel fuelled garden tools such as lawn mowers
  • Carpet and underlay
  • Typewriters – unless antique
  • TV stands (may be collected as part of larger collections)