Critical donations for YMCA charity hit an all time low

By Nichola Munro

Charity workers at Leicester’s YMCA charity shop are facing a hard Christmas as in the number of vital clothing donations drop.

The unwanted clothes sent to the YMCA shop in the city centre are desperately needed for funding essential support for young people in and around Leicestershire.

Sally, a volunteer at Leicester YMCA, said: “We totally rely on donations, in the past year we have definitely seen a drop in the clothes sacks and more so in furniture which we usually get a lot of.

“It’s the lowest number we’ve ever received, in the last two months we’ve seen a massive drop in donations right when we need them the most, it’s getting much more difficult getting people to donate.

“If you look at large charities like the British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research everybody knows about them but we are much less known and thought of as less important.”

The YMCA charity is the largest youth charity in the world, they believe all young people deserve a safe and secure place to live, and provide dedicated shelters and support centres across the country for young people in trouble.

Sally added: “We should be just as important as the large charities. We help young people all over Leicester giving them safe places to stay, an education and support when they need it most.

“Even though the donations are dropping we are very grateful for what we do get because we absolutely need every little bit.

“We want people to think of us a little more when they have unwanted clothes.”

To donate to your local YMCA simply take your unwanted clothing to a local shop or use collection bins around the city, the shop also offers free collection on furniture and only a £10 delivery fee.

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