Charity: Bag It Up; Fantastak; Loadhog

Bag It Up (BIU), the Halifax-based clothing and textile recycling company, is celebrating its latest milestone of £7m raised for its partner charities, thanks to donations from the public.

Residents, businesses and community groups across the UK have been recycling their unwanted clothing, shoes and household linens with BIU’s partner charities for over a decade.

BIU’s partners are UK-based, regional charities, including air ambulances, hospices and sporting associations.

BIU designs and manufactures its own clothing recycling banks at its in-house fabrication unit. After numerous tried and tested designs, they now own the UK patent for their no-key, anti-theft bank mechanism, which has ensured all donations are safe and secure while awaiting collection.

It currently has a network of around 1,400 clothing recycling banks around the UK and 11 charity partnerships, including the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Exchange rates, political instability, garment quality and new imports from Asia, are just a few reasons as to why the used textile industry has seen a massive down-turn in the UK and overseas.

Wendy Yarney, charity partnerships manager at BIU, said: “It’s an amazing achievement. I’m honoured to have worked alongside such vital and well-supported charities, and we must thank all donors for clearing out their clobber for their local, worthy causes.”

Paul Gowland, director of fundraising, Yorkshire Air Ambulance, added: “This is a phenomenal figure for BIU to have raised for their charity partners and to have received £2.3m of that ourselves over the last 11 years is truly amazing.”

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FANTASTAK, a developer and manufacturer of glue dots and supplier of niche adhesive products based in Bradford, has donated towards a staff member’s fundraising efforts as he runs the Plusnet Leeds Half Marathon this year for the first time.
 
Craig Elliot, who has worked at Fantastak for nine years will run the 13.1miles on May 8 to raise money for the Marie Curie charity, in particular for the hospice based in Bradford.

“I’m very grateful for all the support and donations I have already received from friends, family and Fantastak. It really does mean a lot to me. Also, a big thanks to Jaybees Supplies in Bradford for adding Fantastak’s logo onto my running shirt,” said Mr Elliot.

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THE sales and marketing co-ordinator at Loadhog, Sheffield’s transit packaging innovator, has given up many of her Saturday lunchtimes to help out at a community café serving the city’s vulnerable, and this time she handed over a £1,200 donation from her employer.

Naomi Jones has been making a hands on contribution for some time, then Loadhog decided the Revive Café was in need of funds to continue its valuable work of providing food and hospitality to the homeless and marginalised in Sheffield.

Based in the Archer Project in the heart of Sheffield city centre, the Revive Café is open on Saturday lunchtimes to provide tasty and nourishing food as well as friendly company.

Supported by a team of enthusiastic and loyal volunteers, the café’s organisers are Maria Adcock and Jonners Baker.

Ms Adcock said: “We believe that sharing a warm meal helps to break down conventional barriers and create a community. Our guests come back time and again for the friendship as well as the food.

“We thank Loadhog for its kind donation which will enable us to run for a further six months, which is just incredible, thank you again.”