Kerbside thefts of donated clothing are potentially costing a charity thousands of pounds, which could have been used to help save lives across the region.
The Great North Air Ambulance Service’s (GNAAS) recycling arm has seen a rise in bags of clothing, intended for the charity, being stolen, leading to a loss of vital funds.
John Ballan, who manages the charity’s trading company said: “We really appreciate everyone who fills their bags with unwanted clothing and other items to support GNAAS but, unfortunately, we have seen an increase in bag thefts. There have been reports of people in unmarked vans picking up our bags which clearly display our name and logo and are obviously not intended for them.
“Every time one of these bags is not picked up by our team, the charity is losing money, which could have been spent on providing life-saving care in the region.”
The trading company raises, on average, £15,000 a month which covers the cost of three missions carried out by the charity’s critical care team.
To help combat the issue of bag thefts, the GNAAS trading company offer a service Monday to Saturday, where people can book in a collection at a pre-arranged time, so they can feel reassured that their donated items are going directly to the charity.
This service is available across the North East, Northumberland and Cumbria and can be booked over the phone or via GNAAS’ Facebook page.
Mr Ballan added: “We visit different areas during the week to pick up the bags and all our vans are clearly identifiable with GNAAS branding. We’ve seen an increase in arranged collections since the pandemic as we can provide contact-free doorstep collections, and it also means that the public don’t have to wait for a bag to be delivered through the door and can use a bin bag or another container for their unwanted items.”
In addition to collecting from individuals’ homes, there are several supporters who host community collections at their homes, as well as locations such as business premises and village halls.
Peter Harris, 71, from Murton, is just one of the supporters who arranges collections at his home and uses his shed to store clothing donated by the local community.
He said: “When you think of the cost of fuel by driving up and down all the streets, you realise it’s worthwhile having big collections so they only have to drive to specific locations and can save some money.”
If you would like to book in a pre-arranged collection, or are interested in hosting your own community collection, please call 01325 308 139 or message GNAAS’ Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/GNairambulance