Looking to donate items to a local charity and don’t know where to start?

One of the easiest ways to support Acorns vital care is to donate clothes, toys, books, furniture and more to be sold in our shops. Your good quality unwanted items make a huge difference to local children and young people who are life limited or life threatened – and with more and more people turning to charity shops to help the environment or find a bargain, your donations are more important than ever.

How do I donate items?

It couldn’t be easier to donate to your pre-loved items to Acorns. All you have to do is drop your items into your nearest Acorns charity shop. With over 40 Acorns shops across Birmingham, the West Midlands and Gloucestershire, you won’t have to travel too far to find one. And don’t forget to ask to Gift Aid your donated goods when you drop them off.

Donating furniture? We can collect! Find out more about requesting a free furniture collection.

What can I donate?

Donating unwanted goods to our charity shops is a great way to support your local children’s hospice. But did you know that it costs us time and money to dispose of items that are damaged, dirty or unusable? You can help us raise more by only donating your very best clothes, toys and other items. Ask yourself “would I sell this to a friend?”

To help you declutter and donate check out our handy guide below.

Men’s, ladies’ and children’s clothes, shoes and accessories:

  • Clean and undamaged – no stains or tears
  • No branded uniforms

Household items, bric-a-brac, small electricals, china and pottery, fabrics:

  • Small electricals in good working condition and boxed as new
  • Carefully wrap fragile items
  • Clean and undamaged linen, curtains and blankets
  • All upholstered items must have a fire safety label attached. (Pre-1950’s upholstered furniture is exempt and can be donated). Upholstered items must also be free from rips and tears that expose the inner fabric, as this means it will no longer meet fire safety standards.

Children’s toys and nursery furniture:

  • Clean, undamaged and CE marked
  • Complete, with all pieces intact

Books and media:

  • Books of all genres – undamaged, pages intact
  • Comics
  • CDs and DVDs
  • Vinyl records

Free furniture collections

We can pick up furniture and homeware items from your home for free. Any items you donate are then sold in our stores to help us provide care and support to local children and families.

Have items you would like to donate to Acorns? We can only accept good quality, undamaged furniture and homeware with relevant safety marks or fire labels attached.

To enquire about booking a collection, please email your local furniture shop:

Chelmsley Wood: shop.chelmsleywood@acorns.org.uk

Pershore: furnituresupportpershore@acorns.org.uk

Erdington: furnituresupporterdington@acorns.org.uk

For any other furniture collection enquiries, please contact FurnitureSupport@acorns.org.uk.

Items we can’t sell

We really appreciate your kind donations. Unfortunately, there are some items that we are unable to accept, as we can’t sell them and would have to pay for their disposal.

Please check the list below, or contact your local Acorns shop to find out more.

  • Items that are damaged or dirty
  • Safety equipment such as bike helmets or riding helmets
  • Any mobility items e.g. wheelchairs and walkers.
  • Upholstered items without a fire safety label attached. (Pre-1950’s upholstered furniture is exempt and can be donated).
  • Upholstered items with rips and tears that expose the inner fabric, as these do not meet fire safety standards.
  • Toys without a CE mark
  • Personal appliances such as shavers or foot spas (unless in mint condition and in a sealed box)
  • Children’s car seats or booster seats, cot mattresses and cot bumpers
  • VHS or free CDs/DVDs from magazines or papers
  • Real fur
  • Pianos

Please take your donations to your local Acorns charity shop. You can find your nearest shop by using our Acorns shop search. We rely on the funds raised from selling your donated items to continue to deliver the specialist care and support we provide, so you can be sure that your donation will make a real difference to the lives of local children and their families.

And please don’t forget to ask about Gift Aid when you drop off your donated items!