A truly lovely success story that’s now entering its 13th year of operation, HandsOn London’s WrapUp London campaign collects unwanted coats and donates them to those in need. It’s one of the biggest volunteering events in London and has spawned similar events all across the country.
They’re back today (November 7), with volunteers collecting old and unwanted coats at Tube stations and collection points across town. These coats will then find new homes with charities that support the homeless, refugees, children living in poverty, and those fleeing domestic violence.
How to donate your coats
If you’ve got a coat you no longer want, it’s easy to ensure it finds a well-deserved new home. For commuters, they’re popping up across select Tube stations to make coat-dropping as easy as possible. From Tuesday, November 7 to Thursday, November 9, between 7-11 AM, those travelling in and around London can donate coats at the following stations:
- Kings Cross
- Liverpool Street
- London Bridge
- Moorgate
- Waterloo.
As well as donation points at these stations, there are over 40 local collections popping up across the city and Greater London.
Said Jon Meech, CEO of HandsOn London:
“Each year, the people of London never fail to amaze me. They give so generously and make it possible to support a wide range of charities, helping vulnerable people across the city. Volunteers can contribute to the huge effort to collect, sort and share thousands of coats each winter, and volunteer in a host of other ways to support the campaign”.
This year, WrapUp London is also partnering with Cards Inclusive to add a personal touch to the coats. 500 of the donated coats will have a Cards Inclusive postcard with a handwritten message on the back for the new owners.
Get involved with WrapUp London
Since 2010, hundreds of volunteers have distributed 212,032 coats to charities and projects on the frontline. This year’s coat collections run from November 7 – 27. And there’s always more that can be done. Are you a business that wants to get involved or a volunteer looking to help out? Need to know where your nearest collection point is? Head to the WrapUp London website, where you’ll find all the information you need.
If you live outside of London, you can still participate in the charitable endeavour. Wrap Up UK has all the details for you. In some areas outside of London, they’ve already started collecting coats and will continue to do so throughout October and November.
Freeing up some wardrobe space whilst helping the vulnerable? It’s an easy win-win, so please donate whatever you can.
Also published on Medium.