Students are being asked to donate their unwanted clothing to help people living in poverty around the world as well as fund a life changing operation for a local school boy.
Instead of packing them up to take home over the summer, students are being encouraged to drop off clothes they no longer wear outside the Engine Shed on Wednesday.
Recycled clothing company RagTex will then export the donations to clothe those less fortunate in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe.
The company are asking for good quality clothes, paired shoes, handbags, blankets, linen, curtains and soft toys to export to those who need them.
On average, around 1 billion items of clothing are sent to landfill each year in the UK. Advertising and Public Relations student, Kam Sekhon, believes that throwing away so many clothes is a waste.
“I’ve thrown away clothes before”, says Sekhon. “When I’m doing it, I get the feeling I should be doing something else with these clothes. By donating the clothes, students will be giving them to people that really need them and helping the environment.”
As well as helping people in the poorest parts of the world, the money raised from the sale of the clothes to RagTex will help fund a local boy’s life saving operation.
The family of 11-year-old Joel James, who suffers from Cerebral Palsy, are aiming to raise £50,000 before July to pay for him to undergo life changing surgery.
The illness affects Joel’s everyday life, making him unable to carry out everyday tasks such as getting in the car and walking up the stairs without assistance. As Joel gets older, his condition is likely to worsen and will leave him potentially unable to walk and depend on a wheelchair.
Sekhon planned the event with two other students as part of a PR module in his course.
“For the project we were only supposed to plan it and didn’t need to implement it”, says Sekhon. “But after meeting with Karen we were really excited about doing the actual events themselves so we carried on with it.”
The £50,000 will help send Joel to the USA to undergo an operation to section some of the sensory nerve fibres which will enhance his chance of leading a normal life.
To donate your unwanted clothing, simply take them to the collection point in between the Engine Shed and university library on Wednesday 9th May. For more information on Joel and his condition, visit the Joel’s Quest website.