Sunderland clothes banks turn fashion into football funds

Sunderland’s Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), Fundraise & Recycle, and the city’s Foundation of Light have teamed up to install clothing banks across the city.

Clothes will be collected, sorted, and packaged in Sunderland before being sold to wholesalers or consumers in the UK and overseas.

Items unsuitable for resale will be cut up into rags and sold to cleaning companies and industries such as engineering and mechanics.

All money raised from the sale of the donated clothes will be donated to the Foundation of Light, to support people from all walks of life, to live happier and healthier lives.

The first bank will be located at the main entrance to the Beacon of Light, with two more planned at points yet to be confirmed at the seafront and Holmeside in the city centre.

Football-related donations such as shirts, shorts, shin pads, socks, and boots will go directly to the Foundation for reuse or repurposing.

The scheme was developed by Sharon Appleby and Clare Wilson.

Ms Appleby, chief executive of Sunderland BIDs, said: “Our aim with this initiative is multi-faceted.

“It’s a public service that we very much hope people will use and it will benefit not only our city but communities further afield.”

Ms Wilson, chief commercial and fundraising officer at the Foundation of Light, said: “At Foundation of Light, supporting our communities is at the heart of everything we do and we’re proud to share that commitment with Sunderland BIDs and Fundraise & Recycle through this initiative.

“By working together, we can promote more sustainable habits through the reuse of unwanted clothing while raising vital funds to support our programmes across the region and the people who need them most.”

Each clothing bank will feature a QR code on the front. Donors can scan this to learn how many kilos of clothes that specific bank has recycled, how much money it has raised, and how much CO2 it has prevented from entering the atmosphere.

David Kristopaitis, managing director of Fundraise and Recycle, said: “We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with Sunderland’s BIDs and the Foundation of Light.

“These are two organisations that do incredible work for the city and its communities.”