St Barnabas Hospice launches drive-through for flood of charity shop donations after lockdown clear-outs

Many people have used the lockdown period to have clear out of shelves, wardrobes and cupboards, so St Barnabas Hospice is anticipating a flood of donations.

To manage the load and ensure hygiene control, anyone wanting to donate items can use an online booking system to secure their time for drop-off at the charity’s central warehouse at Cardinal Close in Lincoln.

Head of retail Caroline Peach said: “We’re really excited to be able to get our shops open again in the coming weeks, so really want to make sure we hit the ground running with some fabulous donations from our ever-reliable supporters.

“We have already had a fantastic reaction, so have decided to run the service until at least July 10.”

She added: “This is the perfect opportunity to clear out those closets and help us make up some of the shortfalls we’ve been experiencing as our retail outlets across the county have been closed.”

Supporters are asked to limit themselves to just six bags of clothing, bedding or toys and four boxes of books or homewares.

Caroline said: “This will mean our teams of volunteers can sort, process and have our stores fully-stocked when we do open.”

Once a booking has been made and supporters arrive at the warehouse, they will be asked to join one-way system that ensures social distancing guidelines are being met.

To book your slot, go to stbarnabashospice.co.uk.