Door-to-door charity bag collectors

I'm a big fan of giving no longer needed or wanted, perfectly-working or nearly new stuff to charity. And with a shop from one of the country's finest hospices, St Gemma's, almost on our doorstep, they always receive first refusal.

However, that doesn't stop the flood of plastic bags coming through the letterbox from a rich panoply of charities, some of which don't even have a presence in Leeds, others of which I've never even heard of.

A bag dropped on the mat this morning (the 5th charity bag to so do since Friday - our area must be recognised at either extremely charitable, or extremely gullible) from Against Breast Cancer UK, and a very worthwhile charity to boot.

However, it wasn't directly from the charity themselves, although they will reap minor benefits.

It was from Recycling Clothes Company Limited (www.recyclingclothescompany.co.uk), and they made the bold claim that:

"We will donate £75 per tonne of textiles received".

Wonderful. 7½p per kilo.

6/7 items? The charity could attend a car boot sale and flog at £1 each yourself and make almost 100 times what this company is offering.

But wait for it. They also seek bed linen, paired shoes, handbags, perfumes, CD's, video games, DVD's, toys, and the best of all, mobile phones. All at 7½p a kilo.

I find this absolutely abhorrent.

I think it's fair to say the charity is possibly not aware of the exact ramifications as to what this company collects on their behalf. Or more so, what the company collects and doesn't give to them.

That the Recycling Clothes Company Limited is benefiting to such a large a degree on the back of collecting for charity is immoral. Yes, they have a right to make a living, but on this occasion, I feel it is tantamount to dishonesty.

Yes, let the giver beware, but it should be printed on the bag in large, bold lettering. "A 7½ TON TRUCK FULL OF YOUR GOODS WILL RESULT IN A DONATION OF APPROXIMATELY £500 TO THE CHARITY, YET WILL BENEFIT US WITH THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF POUNDS OF PROFIT".

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