Donate to our shops

From fashion to furniture and books to bric-a-brac, our shops welcome all types of good quality, clean, re-sellable items.

Our advice is… If you would buy it from one of our shops, then donate it!

We are so appreciative of all the donations we receive. You’d be surprised to know however that we often receive donations that we’re unable to sell on sadly. Disposing of these non-sellable items costs St Oswald’s Hospice essential money and resources. Please see below a list of items we accept:

Clothes, shoes and accessories

Whether you’re donating good quality pre-loved work wear, wedding dresses or wellington boots, we can receive them!

We accept the following:

• Womenswear and menswear (e.g. tops, dresses, suits, coats, summer/beach wear, nightwear) for a range of occasions (parties, work, vintage, casual, sports)
• Accessories such as bags, belts, hats, ties, jewellery
• Wedding/prom outfits and accessories for our Posh Frocks and Bridal Boutique in Whitley Bay
• Children and Baby Clothing (including school uniform)

Our breast sellers!

Did you know that donated bras are a popular item to buy in our shops and via our eBay store? Since 2022 we have raised over £8000 selling your donated bras! Thanks for helping to give our sales a little boost.

Electrical items and kitchenware

We accept electrical items* that are in good working condition as well as a range of kitchenware (crockery, glasses, pots and pans). Examples of electrical items you can donate are listed below:

• Kettles
• Toasters
• TVs
• Gym equipment
• Washing machines
• Microwaves
• Fridge and freezers
• Hairdryers and styling irons

*Please note: All electrical items must have a plug attached.

Large furniture

Such as beds, dining table sets (chairs included), wardrobes, TV stands, book cases and drawers.

Toys, gifts, decorations and bric–a-brac

Including ornaments, unwanted and unopened gifts, toys, jigsaws, decorations and craft items.

Entertainment

Vinyls, CDs, DVDs, cassettes, videos online gaming and books.

Beauty products and toiletries*

Including perfume, makeup, bubble bath, moisturiser and more.

*Please note these must be UNOPENED and in date.

If you have any queries regarding the items we accept, please contact us for more information. You can reach us by emailing retailhelpdesk@stoswaldsuk.org or by leaving a voicemail message at 0191 246 8123. A member of our friendly team will get back to you as soon as possible.

Please see our free collection line service information above for donating larger items such as furniture or white goods.

Thank you for donating to our shops!

Whilst we are grateful for all items donated, there are some products we cannot accept to ensure the safety of our shops, staff and customers.

Please find a list of items we cannot accept below. Should you still have questions please email us at retailhelpdesk@stoswaldsuk.org or leave a voicemail message at 0191 246 8123.

Due to health and safety requirements we cannot accept the following:

Children’s Equipment

• Car seats, booster seats
• Prams, pushchairs, buggies – without label
• Cots, carry cots, playpens, high chairs – without identification
• Cot mattresses- without label
• Soft toys- without CE label

Furniture and Housewares

• Wall units over 39in(112cm) wide. (If your unit is up to 48”/4ft wide and light pine/wood please contact the team as we may be able to accept it)
• Side boards over 7ft wide (Unless teak or pine)
• Upholstery Furniture – without a label or fire safety instructions.
• Gas appliances, Oil lamps
• Cigarette lighters and cigarette lighter refill canisters
• Knives and Scissors
• Used pillows or duvets
• Cushions, cushion covers and tailored furniture covers – without a fire label
• Fitted carpets
• Candles without instructions
• Fireworks
• Glass TV units
• Blinds without safety instructions and safety devices attached
• Bunk beds – without instructions
• Dark wood dining table sets

Electrical Items

Please note: We cannot accept electrical items if there is no plug attached.

• Electric blankets
• Electric showers
• Electric beds
• Sunbeds and tanning equipment
• Waste disposal units
• Power tools without instructions
• Gaming machines e.g. slot machines (we do accept games consoles such as PlayStation, Nintendo Wii etc.)
• Electric fires
• Computer equipment that does not have its software removed

Weapons (including but not limited too)

• Knives, Swords, sword sticks, crossbows
• Guns and ammunition

Heating and Cooking

• Gas appliances (mains or bottles goods)
• Oil filled radiators that are not supplied with a thermostat
• Storage heaters (hardwired)
• Oil and Gas Agas
• Ovens or cookers

Sport and safety equipment

• Buoyancy aids, life jackets, inflatable dinghies, inflatable toys for water
• Safety Helmets – Riding hats, crash helmets, cycle helmets
• Safety harness of any sort
• Firefighting equipment

Software and hardware

• Home recorded DVDs, video and audio tapes
• Home recorded computer games and software on recordable CDs and DVDs

Miscellaneous

• Personal appliances, such as shavers, foot spas etc. (unless in mint condition, sealed box)
• Medication including vitamins
• Perishable goods, food and drink
• Prescription spectacles
• Cleaning agents, solvents, adhesives
• Items made from ivory
• Real fur or fur trimmed items
• Petrol or diesel fuelled garden tools including lawn mowers, strimmer’s etc.
• Hot water bottles
• Christmas trees- without box and instructions
• Counterfeit designer goods
• Seconds and end-of-line goods
• Any sexually explicit material or items

We’re always happy to answer any questions about your donations!

Please do feel free to contact us at retailhelpdesk@stoswaldsuk.org or leave a voicemail message at 0191 246 8123.

If you have clothes/bedding/curtains that are a little too pre-loved to be sold in our shops, please do still donate them.

Any material that is clean but past its prime can be recycled off site.

Our team of retail volunteers safely and carefully sort donations into categories such as adult clothing, children’s clothing, books, glassware, and so on.

Any clothing that is damaged or not suitable for sale is re-cycled and any broken items which cannot be sold are either re-cycled, ‘up-cycled’, or sent to landfill as a last resort.

Your donations will ensure that patients and families from across the North East can continue to receive expert, specialist and compassionate care when they need it most.

Watch ‘Our Story’ to find out more about how you are helping.

Thank you.

Gift Aid is a government scheme that allows us to claim an extra 25p for every £1 you donate.  

That means, if you donate an item that sells for £20 in one of our shops, we receive an extra £5 from the government meaning your donated item is now worth £25! Better yet – signing up to Gift Aid is free and doesn’t cost you – or us – a penny!   

Next time you donate to our shops sign up to Gift Aid and make your donations worth 25% more.   

Find out more here.