While Santa will have brought many children the presents they’ve been dreaming of for Christmas, more than two-fifths (44 per cent) of South West adults say they’ve received gifts they don’t want and will never use, according to a new survey by Barnardo’s.
The survey also revealed that the majority of these gifts are left gathering dust, with almost a third of South West adults (31 per cent) saying they put them in a cupboard and never use them. More than a fifth (21 per cent) who didn’t donate their gift to charity claimed they simply felt too guilty about giving it away.
The results come as Barnardo’s launches a new campaign asking people to donate their unwanted festive gifts to their local Barnardo’s charity shop. The proceeds from the sale of good quality, unused Christmas gifts are a vital source of income for the charity’s work supporting vulnerable children across the UK.
Barnardo’s regional director Sarah Crawley said, “We’ve all received gifts that end up at the back of a cupboard. But this year, instead of holding onto gifts that you’ll never use, we’re asking people to donate them to their local Barnardo’s shop. Donating to our stores means somebody else can find joy in your unwanted gifts. It also helps Barnardo’s to bring care, hope and love to vulnerable children across the UK, at Christmas and all year round.”
Westbury’s Barnardo’s store in Palomino Place, is open Monday-Saturday from 9am-5pm and on Sundays from 10am-4pm.
Last year around 300,000 children, young people, parents and carers were supported by Barnardo’s through more than a thousand services across the UK.
