GNAAS provides life-saving care to the most critically ill or injured people throughout the North East, North Yorkshire, Cumbria and the Isle of Man.

They respond to more than 2,000 incidents a year and it costs approximately £9.3m a year for the charity to remain operational.

To help fund their life-saving missions, the organisation previously managed an in-house clothing recycling operation, with the profits donated directly to the charity.

They’ve recently transitioned to partnering with Clothes Aid, who are facilitating collections on their behalf, in the hopes of increasing the funds raised to support their service.

Clothes Aid is a fully licensed and regulated third-party organisation, that has a strong track record of working with charities across the Midlands and North of England, raising millions of pounds for them for over 25 years.

Phil Hall, commercial project manager, said: “This decision was not taken lightly, but due to a persistent decline in income and an uncertain marketplace, we decided it would be more beneficial for the charity to trial using a third-party collector.

“This will allow us to reduce our costs, and we are guaranteed to receive a similar income, if not more, without the associated risks.

“Please be assured that your generous donations of pre-loved clothing will continue to make a meaningful difference to our charity and we appreciate your support.”

The collaboration with Clothes Aid has led to the expansion of items that can be donated, and in addition to clothes, the recycling team now collect a range of household goods and bric-a-brac, such as toys, games, books, ornaments and large electricals like TVs or monitors.

Everything that is collected is sold on to stock European department stores that are full of premium second-hand clothes and accessories from Britain.

The recycling service offers pre-booked collections from Monday to Friday and covers several areas including County Durham, Tyne & Wear, Tees Valley, Northumberland and Cumbria.

To arrange a collection, fill in the enquiry form on Clothes Aid’s website or call 02072888545.

Click here for further information about GNAAS’ clothing collections

FAQ’s

• How do I book in a collection? To arrange a collection, fill in the enquiry form on Clothes Aid’s website or call 02072888545.
• What happens if I haven’t heard anything about my collection? You can call 020 7288 8545 for an update.
• You don’t deliver bags, so how do you know which ones to collect? We only collect bags from properties that have made a pre-arranged collection appointment with us. We don’t collect all the bags that are left in a street.
• How can I avoid my items being taken by other charities? You can leave the bags inside and the collection driver will knock at your door or you could leave them in a safe place, such as behind a garden wall, and tell us when you make the collection appointment where the driver will be able to find them.
• Can you confirm what you do/don’t take? We take all types of clothing, shoes, bags, bric a brac, household textiles such as curtains, towels and sheets, books, laptops, ipads, mobile phones and small electrical items.
• Why have Clothes Aid taken over? Due to a persistent decline in income and an uncertain marketplace, we decided it would be more beneficial for the charity to trial using a third-party collector. Clothes Aid has a strong track record of working with charities and are able to accept a larger range of donations off our supporters. This will allow us to reduce our costs, and we are guaranteed to receive a similar income, if not more, without the associated risks.