Penny and a host of other celebrities are calling on consumers to stop binning clothes and donate them instead after a charity reported stocks in its stores had dwindled significantly in recent years.
The veterinary charity PDSA said donations to its shops had dropped by 13% in the last four years.
More than half of Britons (56%) have clothes in their wardrobes that they never wear, a survey for the charity found.
The clothes would be worth millions if donated and resold, but more than a quarter of consumers (27%) continue to bin items rather than give them to charity, the poll found.
It found the average man has spent £306 on clothing, shoes and accessories in the last year, while women spent £367.
The charity’s Vet Your Clothes campaign calls on consumers to clear out their wardrobes and donate unwanted items, and has the backing of celebrities such as Penny, Gok Wan, and comedian Russell Kane.
As a face for the campaign, Penny is donating her own clothes to PDSA to help raise money for the #vetyourclothes cause.
PDSA’s head of retail Philip Klette said stock donations at the charity’s shops had dropped by 13% in the last four years.
He said: “This is leaving us short of the goods to sell in our shops, which means less money to fund our pet hospitals.
“Many charities have noticed a decline in donated stock levels over the past few years but people might not realise that, just by clearing out a few unworn items, you could make a massive difference to PDSA.
“We’re thrilled that celebrities are flying the flag for Vet Your Clothes on social media and encouraging people to think before they throw away what could be a lifeline for poorly pets.”
for more information and to see how you can help go to
https://www.pdsa.org.uk/get-involved/campaigns/vet-your-clothes
Penny has also been out and about playing rugby for the Dallaglio Foundation at Garratt Green as the ambassador for the Penny For London scheme that has just announced the first ten charities and projects that will benefit from the contactless payment donations made by Londoners since the charity’s launch in October 2014.Supported by the Mayor’s Fund for London, a total of £30,000 has been awarded to the 10 chosen recipients: the Evening Standard’s Dispossessed Fund; Magic FM’s Cash for Kids; the Mayor’s Music Fund; The Honeypot Children’s Charity; Urban Development; Camden Arts Centre; Barnet Community Projects; Dallaglio Foundation; Friendship Works and Farms for City Children.
Penny who is a Penny for London ambassador, visited the Dallaglio Foundation, one of the charities in receipt of a grant, to present the first cheque to the charity’s chief executive, Rachel Roxburgh, and 30 of the 14-16 year olds in Wandsworth who will directly benefit from the money.
The Dallaglio Foundation works in twelve London boroughs, using rugby to help change the lives of young people for the better, leaving them more employable, socially responsible and helping them to make positive decisions about their futures.
Speaking at the presentation, Penny said: “It was such fun seeing some of the kids today who are benefitting from Penny for London. We really can help young people like these escape the threat of poverty.”
Lawrence Dallaglio, founder of the Dallaglio Foundation and former England captain, added: “Our programme gives self-belief, opportunities and support to young people from some of the most disadvantaged London boroughs. We’d like to thank Londoners for donating their pennies via Penny for London. It is a fantastic scheme that really is making a difference.”
Speaking for the Mayor’s Fund for London, which devised and operates the Penny for London scheme, chief executive Matthew Patten said: “Thanks to all those Londoners who are giving their pennies, we are delighted that funds are now flowing to projects that are making a real difference to the lives of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“So far, 2,500 people are donating a penny or so when they use their contactless card to travel around London or pay for a coffee or sandwich with one of our partners. Just think how much more we do for disadvantaged kids if we could get 50,000 Londoners to register with Penny for London.”
The Penny for London micro-donation charitable scheme allows Londoners to donate as little as one penny (1p) every time they make a payment using contactless technology on the Transport for London network and in Caffè Nero or Leon cafe outlets. Every penny donated by the public is used to benefit young people from deprived areas of the city.
The handling of the contactless payment donation transactions is managed by Barclaycard, which has funded and developed the micro-donation back-office technology that makes Penny for London possible.
Celebrities such as Pixie Lott and JJ Hamblett have lent their support to the charity and some of London’s biggest employers, such as Visa, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, are match-funding every employee’s donation.
Londoners can register their contactless debit or credit card at www.pennyforlondon.com. One million pounds will be raised if registrations reach 100,000 this year, with that figure set to rise to £25m a year if one-in-ten Londoners sign up.
For more information go to https://www.pennyforlondon.com/
For more information on The Dallaglio Foundation go to https://www.dallagliofoundation.com/