It’s estimated that 30% of clothing in our wardrobes hasn’t been worn in over a year – do you have items you can donate to others?

 

The Leeds Winter Coat Appeal, run by Zero Waste Leeds, is asking people across Leeds to donate great quality second-hand winter coats and other items of winter clothing.

 

Last year’s campaign distributed over 6500 items of free winter clothing across the city, helping to reduce waste and saving people over £132,000 that could be spent on other essentials during the coldest time of the year.

 

There are over 20 winter clothing public donation points, including leisure and community centres,  and more than 20 businesses are supporting this year’s campaign to encourage their staff to donate clothing. Donation points are open now and the final date for donations is Friday 26 January 2024. More donation points are being made available over the coming weeks and full details of when and where people can donate items are available on the Zero Waste Leeds website – www.zerowasteleeds.org.uk.

 

As well as winter coats for adults, children and babies, Zero Waste Leeds is also appealing for people to donate other great quality items of winter clothing that they no longer want or need, including hats, gloves and scarves, waterproof clothing, fleeces. This year Zero Waste Leeds is also asking for donations of  baby cot sleeping bags, snow suits for young children and babies, and footmuffs to keep babies and children warm in their prams and buggies and is collaborating with Leeds Baby Bank to ensure these items are distributed to families who need them.

 

Gill Coupland from Zero Waste Leeds said: “Last year’s Leeds Winter Coat Appeal was a huge success thanks to the many businesses, individuals and community groups that got involved donating and distributing coats. It’s such a great way to come together as a community and share the things we have. It’s good for the environment because it cuts down on the demand for new and it’s great for families who don’t have to worry about the cost of coats.

 

“People in Leeds are so generous, as we’ve also seen through the School Uniform Exchange, and we are so thankful that people can and want to help. Our aim is to collect and distribute thousands of coats and items of clothing this year.  We’d love to beat last winter’s campaign total of 6500 items this year, so we’re calling out for even more people to share the coats they no longer want or need rather than throwing them away.”

 

Details of where people will be able to get the donated items, all free of charge, will be announced in early November, ahead of the coldest time of the year, and these collection points will be available until the end of February 2024.

 

Gill Coupland concluded: “The cost of living crisis has hit families hard and priorities have had to change. Last winter, for many families in Leeds, paying bills or buying food became more important than buying a new winter coat. Sharing thousands of donated, good quality winter coats across the city meant we could help ease some of the financial pressure.

 

“Freeing up unworn coats from the back of cupboards and wardrobes and passing them on is also so much more sustainable than buying new and people were more than happy to help, so we’re hoping for an even more generous response from the people of Leeds this winter.”

 

This summer, Zero Waste Leeds distributed more than 16,700 items of second-hand, donated school uniform to nearly 3000 families and the aim of this new appeal is to do the same with winter clothing.

The current list of donation points for winter clothing items are listed below. More donation points are being added over the coming weeks so please visit www.zerowasteleeds.org.uk for updated details.

The Queens Hotel – City Square, Leeds, LS1 1PJ

Merrion House – Merrion Way, LS2 8BB

Scott Hall Leisure Centre – Scott Hall Road, LS7 3DT

Meanwood Community Centre – Stainbeck Avenue, Leeds, LS7 2QU

Reginald Centre – 263 Chapeltown Road, LS7 3EX

Nowell Mount Community Centre – Nowell Mount, Harehills, LS9 6JJ

Compton Centre – 322 Harehills Lane, Harehills, LS9 7BG

Burmantofts Community Hub & Library – Rigton Lawn, LS9 7QA

Hunslet Community Hub & Library – Waterloo Street, LS10 2NS

BITMO – BITMOs GATE, Aberfield Gate, Belle Isle, LS10 3QH

Middleton Community Health Centre – Middleton Park Avenue, LS10 4HT

Cottingley Children’s Centre – Cottingley Drive, LS11 0JP

Dewsbury Road Community Hub – 190 Dewsbury Road, LS11 6PF

Beeston Community Hub & Library – Town Street, LS11 8PN

Armley Community Hub – 2 Stocks Hill, Armley, LS12 1UQ

Armley Moor Health Centre – 95 Town Street, LS12 3HD

Hawthorn Surgery – Wortley Beck Health Centre, Ring Road, LS12 5SG

Bramley Community Hub – Hough Lane, Bramley, LS13 3ND

Kentmere Community Centre – Kentmere Ave, LS14 1BW

Seacroft Community Hub – 1 Seacroft Avenue, LS14 6JD

Halton Medical Practice – 2 Primrose Lane, LS15 7HR

Halton Library – 273 Selby Road, LS15 7JR

Holt Park Leisure Centre – Holtdale Approach, LS16 7RX

Holt Park Health Centre – Ground Floor, Holt Road,LS16 7QD

Welcome In Community Centre – 55 Bedford Drive, LS16 6DJ

The Calf Shed – 300 Otley Road, LS16 6RG

Yeadon Community Hub – Town Hall Square, Yeadon, LS19 7PP

Aireborough Leisure Centre – The Green Guiseley, LS20 9BT

Wetherby Leisure Centre – Lodge Lane, Wetherby, LS22 5FN

Wetherby Health Centre – Hallfield Lane, LS22 6JT

Garforth Library & One Stop Centre – Lidgett Lane, Garforth, LS25 1EH

Garforth Leisure Centre – Ninelands Lane, Garforth, LS25 1NX

Kippax Community Hub – Westfield Lane, Kippax, LS25 7LY

Morrison’s Rothwell – 1 Jail Yard Parade, Rothwell, LS26 0QJ

Morley Community Hub – Commercial Street, Morley, LS27 8FZ

Morley Leisure Centre – Queensway, LS27 9JP

Pudsey Leisure Centre – Market Place, LS28 7BE

Reduce, Reuse Kids Clothes- Pudsey Community Project, Fartown, Pudsey, LS28 8LP

Zero Waste Leeds