Aldi has announced the return of a charity scheme that raises money for The Salvation Army, calling on parents to donate children's coats they have outgrown ahead of the new school year. The week-long appeal runs from Tuesday, August 25, until Tuesday, September 1.
Donations accepted at over 600 stores
Shoppers can donate "good-quality children's coats as well as other clothing, shoes and accessories through The Salvation Army's Donate by Post service via participating InPost Lockers at more than 600 Aldi stores across the UK". The retailer says hundreds of its stores across England, Scotland and Wales now have an InPost Locker.
The appeal encourages shoppers not to throw away kids' clothing that is no longer needed, but to pass it on to help another child stay warm as temperatures drop in autumn and winter. Items deemed suitable for resale will be distributed to Salvation Army stores across the country, with the profits supporting the charity's work.
How to donate
People looking to donate can register their items online and generate a free postage label. After registering, shoppers drop the items off at their nearest participating InPost Locker. Parcels must be no larger than 41cm x 38cm x 64cm and contain a minimum of five items. A notification is sent out once the items have been received.
Luke Emery, National Sustainability Director at Aldi UK, said: "Children can outgrow a coat in a matter of months, even though the coat still has years of life left. This appeal is about making sure those coats don't go to waste. By passing them on through The Salvation Army and InPost UK, shoppers can help another family prepare for the colder months while keeping perfectly good clothing in use for longer."
Partnership praised by charity and InPost
Shaunacy Burne, Corporate Donations Manager at Salvation Army Trading Company, said: "As many families prepare for the new school year, the cost of replacing essential items like coats can place significant pressure on household budgets. This appeal is a simple but powerful way to ensure children’s coats that are no longer needed can help keep another child warm. Through partnerships like this with Aldi and InPost UK, we're able to make donating easy while supporting vulnerable people in communities across the UK. Every coat donated has the potential to make a real difference to a family in need."
Paul Selvey, Network Director at InPost UK, said: "InPost Lockers are now in more than 600 Aldi stores across the UK, which means for a lot of families this is somewhere they already go every week. That makes it an easy and convenient place to donate a coat, rather than something people have to go out of their way to do. This partnership is a good example of our extensive network being used for something beyond just sending, collecting and returning parcels and it’s the kind of partnership we want to do more of."
