Why some charity donations do more harm than good

Jane Ward is turning the blackened, mouldy pages of a Mr Men book. "You wouldn't want your child curled up in bed with this," she says.

We are at a charity shop run by St Barnabas Hospice in Lincoln. On the table in front of us is a fleece work jacket, covered in dog hair, along with a large, stained teddy bear and a single, dirty, grey slipper.

"If we had the pair, it still wouldn't be wearable," Ward, the store's deputy manager, tells me. "Even our rag companies wouldn't be able to accept that."

Broken, dirty and downright grotty donations are costing hospice charities tens of thousands of pounds to dispose of.

St Barnabas and Dove House Hospice, in Hull, spent a combined £70,000 on dealing with unwanted waste last year.

While St Barnabas says the quality of donations can be "phenomenal", staff are calling on people to be more mindful of items the charity will not be able to sell and which instead become a cost.

Its flagship shop, called The Warehouse, is a large unit on an industrial estate with a retail space out front, selling furniture, electrical goods, homeware and toys, as well as racks of clothing and shoes.

According to the hospice website, the store has generated more than £2m in income since opening in 2022. But some donations cost the charity money.

In the back room, where the sorting happens, Ward picks out items that will never make the shelves.

"These teddies don't have the CE safety mark and they're also very dirty," she says, before showing me a toddler's wooden jigsaw. "The game has pieces missing – it's unsellable."

Caroline Peach is the hospice's head of retail, overseeing 23 shops across Lincolnshire.

She stresses that the charity relies on donations, but says they are also getting rid of huge amounts of people's stuff. Last year, they recycled 350 tonnes.

Then there are the items that simply have to be binned.

"We do incur waste costs for the stuff we just can't sell, stuff that our recycling merchants can't accept, broken crockery, toys that are missing parts, that kind of thing.

"Last year, we spent £30,000 on waste disposal just across our shops.

"I think the public are very aware of being sustainable, not putting stuff into landfill. And so, they immediately think, I'll support my local charity. But they need to be mindful of the things that the charity can't sell, that then become a cost."

Hospices do get some statutory funding, but for Dove House Hospice, in Hull, that makes up only 13% of its £12m annual running costs.

The charity runs 35 shops and relies on donations, but spent £40,000 on waste disposal last year.

Jenny Rowan, head of retail, meets me at Dove House's large store in Hessle Road.

She shows me a plastic baby walker with a jagged broken leg and a Christmas Santa mug with no handle.

She brings a dress to demonstrate one of the re-sale rules they face.

"Unfortunately the fabric content label has been cut off, which means we can't sell it, which is a shame," says Rowan.

Talking about poor donations is sensitive. Charities are grateful and don't want to put people off.

"But disposing of broken items we can't sell, unfortunately does cost the hospice money," Rowan adds.

The waste can increase when donations are left outside. The BBC has previously reported on items being dumped next to collection bins or at the shop door.

Earlier this month, Robin Osterley, from the Charity Retail Association, said this kind of fly tipping was "happening consistently" for 93 per cent of its members.

"You can imagine, when you arrive to do your job and the first thing you have to do is climb over what has unfortunately become rubbish, then it's very dispiriting.

"If you leave stuff outside a charity shop, it's not a donation, it's actually illegal. And you can imagine the things that can happen with animals and the weather."

Both hospice charities have online lists to explain what they can and cannot take.

They have examples to share of what makes a great donation.

Good quality homewares do well.

Ward holds up a saucepan. "It's been used but it's still perfectly clean. Here's a lovely mug with no tea stains."

"Not wine glasses," she adds. "They are so cheap in the supermarkets, we just can't sell them.

Rowan shows a pair of shoes, hardly worn and from an expensive high street store.

"These will fly off the shelves, they're in beautiful condition," she beams.

"I always think a good way to look at it is, 'Would you buy it yourself?' If the answer is 'yes', then we will happily take your items."

Download the BBC News app from the App Storefor iPhone and iPad orGoogle Play for Android devices