Wishing everyone a jolly New Year 2016!

As New Year resolutions go, this one leads to the charity shops.

Well, it's that time of the year again and as we reflect on the happenings in our lives over the last 12 months (the triumphs along with a few regrets perhaps), once again we are going through that process of decluttering our possessions in order to make room for the new year. 

But decluttering is a major responsibility, a chore that I always dread because it is not simply about throwing things out, but deciding on what to discard and what to keep?

But before we do anything, we should consider how we can prolong the life of any items we no longer need or want, as I do believe reuse is better than recycling, or at least to consider the further usefulness of any item before chucking it out to the recycle bin, and the default destination for most of our unwanted possessions will be the local charity shop.

Donating to a charity shop allows your items to live on as well as generating funds to protect and help those who most need it in our society, according to Alastair Petrie, General Manager of BMc Azurri, a company specialising in the provision of Gift Aid systems and IT services for the charity sector. 

The only problem appears to be that a lot of people aren’t sure exactly what’s worth donating, or how best to donate. "We’ve found that some charities are missing out on funding because of the processes required to maximise the benefit available from every donation," according to Alastair. 

So, if you are planning on a new year clear out, Alastair offers these tips for sorting through our unwanted items and making sure charity shops can get the most from your charitable donations.

Remember, remember…Gift Aid

The most important factor in donating to charity shops is Gift Aid. Gift Aid is a tax incentive which allows anyone who pays income tax in the UK to complete a very simple declaration to this effect, stating that they’re happy for Gift Aid to be applied to their donation. Any donations they make are then treated as being made after basic-rate income tax, so the charity can reclaim the value of that tax on each donation. For most people, this adds 25% to the value of their donations, and can have a big impact on a charity’s profits and ability to help their cause.

Declarations are incredibly simple to make

Originally they had to be made in writing, but now they can be made orally. Charities still need to confirm the declaration in writing for records, but for the donor there’s little more to it than verbally confirming that you’re happy for a charity to get 25% extra from the government on all of your donations.

Make this declaration as early as possible in the process, to ensure that you’re on record as a Gift Aid donor. Many charities will have systems in place to enable you to make a declaration over the phone when you first contact them, or fill out an online form. Confirming Gift Aid doesn’t require a signature, so you can get the process underway immediately.

Almost everything is welcome

So what to donate? The short answer is anything which might sell. Just a few examples of donations which are always in demand:

•           Unwanted gifts

•           Clothing and shoes

•           Accessories

•           Toys and games

•           Books, DVDs, CDs and especially vinyl

•           Crockery, glassware, bakeware, etc.

A lot of people wonder – especially in the case of clothes – whether their donation will actually sell. Charities are likely to face a disposal cost for items which they can’t shift, but in the case of clothing, almost every charity shop will have a relationship with one or more textile merchants, so everything donated can be sold on. Even if the charity shop is essentially a landfill alternative in the case of some items, you can always label a bag of clothes ‘for rag.’

Practically every donation is useful. 

Whilst all charities will have the ability to gain income from the “rags “ sale many of them do not maximise the Gift Aid that can increase the value to the charity This is partly because of the associated administration effort but the latest developments in systems make this easier thus enabling charities to claim Gift Aid on the regular Rags income stream and maximise the return so donors should consider a charity shop ahead of the alternatives of landfill and the cash for clothes operators.

Check first for specialist items

Furniture and electrical items can bring often bring in higher revenue for a charity shop. Making sure that the shop you’re planning on donating to can handle this type of donation is important, as not all locations have the facilities. When donating items of furniture, make sure that they have a fire retardant label attached, as this will be necessary for resale and will cost the charity if absent. Any electrical goods should be inspected and tested before donation, ideally by a qualified electrician. If you’re not sure if a charity can handle a certain sort of donation, always contact them first and describe the item fully so that they can judge for themselves.

Focus on what might sell rather than what might not

It’ll be up to the shop’s customers to decide what they’re interested in, and that coat that you wouldn’t be seen dead in might wind up becoming someone else’s treasured possession; those old boxsets that you’ll never watch again might introduce someone to their new favourite show.

Interesting Christmas Trivia – Hampshire is the British county with most Christmassy street names

With over 2,200 variations, Hampshire has topped a chart for the county with the most festive street names* in Great Britain. 

According to Landmark Information Group, the UK’s supplier of digital mapping, property and environmental risk information, it recently undertook a research of its national datasets to identify the areas that come out on top with road names linked to Christmastime – and it found that counties located in the South of the UK are at the top of the chart.

With road names including Holly Road, Mistletoe Road, Christmas Avenue and Rudolph Court, Hampshire is the most Christmas-friendly county, followed by Surrey, Essex, Hertfordshire and Kent. Lancashire is the most festive Northern counties, which features at number 11 in the chart with 885 variations.

When looking specifically at key cities and boroughs, the Midlands and North shine brightly, with Birmingham leads with over 3,300 festively named roads, followed by Durham and Leeds. Those at the bottom of the chart with the least number of festive street names include Swindon with just four, while Denbighshire in north Wales has just two. 

Over a quarter (27%) of all streets named ‘Santa’ are located in Milton Keynes, while Hertfordshire is at the front of the pack when it comes to streets named ‘Rudolph’. Only Devon and Hampshire have streets with the word ‘Cracker’ included, while almost a third of all ‘Turkey’ referenced street names can be found in Enfield. Medway leads when it comes to streets named ‘Christmas’ with almost a quarter of all Christmas-named streets being based in the area (23.8%). There are no streets currently named ‘Humbug’ across the UK!

Samantha Ashton, Landmark Information Group said: “We cross-examined our national datasets to see which areas of the country really are the most festive based on their street-names, while Hampshire strived as the leading county, overall Birmingham came out on top with well over 3,300 roads that have a Christmas connection – whether it’s Ivy Avenue, Old Snow Hill, Holly Lane or Bells Farm. It’s been interesting to see just which areas come out top.”

Top designer brands could do twice as much for online customers, according to research

Many high-end designer brands could do twice as much when it comes to providing a luxury experience to customers who buy products online, according to new research from fashion and luxury brands expert ContactLab. This could lead to luxury brands losing consumers who are not satisfied with the service, ContactLab warns.

Designer fashion showcased at London Fashion Weekend.

“The Online Purchase Experience Ranking” study , which was produced in conjunction with Exane BNP Paribas, revealed that brands are only utilising best practice during the consumer journey around 50 per cent of the time. Analysts developed 67 parameters to measure the service offered by luxury retailers, analysing the complete purchase process – from the online ordering experience, to delivery, as well as packaging and returns.

“There is definitely work to be done in the luxury sector if brands are going to increase online sales year-on-year," Massimo Fubini, CEO of ContactLab.

The research and subsequent analysis is a world first in examining online purchasing experiences and the consumer journey in the luxury retail sector. It looked at 29 recognisable global luxury brands, including 4 major e-tailers, analysing physical and digital customer experience touch points.  Digital touch points refer to the online process, such as choosing an item or checking out, whereas physical touch points refer to direct customer engagement with the product, such as at the time of delivery, or when an item is returned.

ContactLab then mapped their findings onto an “Online Purchasing Experience Ranking,” which measures the physical touch points on one axis and the digital touch points on the other.

Massimo Fubini, CEO of ContactLab, comments: “There is definitely work to be done in the luxury sector if brands are going to increase online sales year-on-year.  Consumers pay a lot of money for products from these luxury brands and they expect the whole experience to have that luxury feeling, from the moment they order the item to the moment it arrives at their door. Brands must go that bit further at every single stage of the consumer journey, but very few are fulfilling their full potential.

“Our research and subsequent analysis found that many brands are missing the little touches which make all the difference, such as covering the product in standard parcel paper rather than delivering it in a more luxurious manner. Some brands, such as Fendi, Cartier, Tod’s  and Net-a-Porter do show best practice when it comes to packaging and focus on maintaining that feeling of luxury throughout the whole consumer journey. The high-end fashion world has struggled, at times, to transfer the luxury experience of their bricks-and-mortar stores into their online offerings, but paying attention to the entire journey and offering added value at every step will allow these retailers to capitalise on the possibilities offered by the internet.”

First doll in space travels to the International Space Station with British ESA astronaut Tim Peake

British European Space Agency astronaut Major Tim Peake
on board the Soyuz en route to the International Space
Centre earlier today (15 Dec) after a successful launch
in  Kazakhastan.

It is not unusual to see a new doll launched around the Christmas season.

But the timing of this particular one by London-based toy company Arkly has been timed and typically “launched” to coincide with the successful blast-off today of British European Space Agency astronaut Major Tim Peake, on board the Soyuz with two other astronauts and docked onto the International Space Centre. 

This is the new Stargazer Lottie doll left designed by a six-year-old Canadian girl Abigail from British Columbia.  

The Stargazer Lottie doll is reportedly traveling to the International Space Station on board Orbital ATK’s “S.S. Deke Slayton II” Cygnus cargo spacecraft with the British astronaut Tim Peake. 

The Special Edition ‘Gold Collection’ ‘Stargazer’ Lottie doll is a collaboration with the European Space Agency, and winner of the space.com ‘Little Scientist’ Space Age Award at the New York Toy Fair 2015.

A short video (by female filmmaker Elena Rossini) can be viewed (click here) to show how Abigail got to design the first doll to go into space. 

Abigail’s idea for an astronomy themed doll to help other kids learn about space was the inspiration behind the Stargazer Lottie doll.   

During her time on board the ISS, Stargazer Lottie will fulfil her mission to get kids interested in space.

Supplemental materials are available to download from the lottie.com website, including biographies of notable women in astronomy, and educational activities created by UNAWE, the global science educational outreach programme. 

Abigail (shown here at left) explains in the film: “Sometimes I look up and think…maybe I could go up there one day…or could I somehow see what’s up there”

“So maybe one day I will go and see many stars, even more than I saw from earth, and I will just say to myself …wow! How lucky am I to be living!”

The Lottie doll line was made available on the market in 2012 by Arklu co-founders Lucie Follett and Ian Harkin, and has won several industry awards on account of its innovative focus on being a doll with a realistic body shape and emphasis on activities that stimulate imaginative play.   Lottie is now on sale in 30 countries.

The Special Edition ‘Gold Collection’ ‘Stargazer’ Lottie doll retails at £19.95 (USD $24.95) 

Lottie doll retails at £16.95 (USD $19.95); accessory sets and outfit sets retail at £7.99 (USD $9.99) 

In the UK; available online at www.lottie.com, Amazon, Debenhams, Ocado and independent toy stores

In the US: available online at www.lottie.com, Amazon, over 1000 independent toy stores.

Concept sports shoe from Adidas with a 3D-printed midsole created from ocean waste

We can never have too many shoes, some of us may say, but the world today has too much discarded plastic and much of it is found as waste in our oceans causing harm to wildlife and the environment.

Now German sportswear group Adidas has unveiled a new concept shoe that includes a 3D-printed midsole made from reclaimed ocean waste as part of a collaboration with sustainable group Parley for the Oceans.  This was announced to coincide with last week’s COP21 climate change summit in Paris. 

 

“The industry cannot afford to wait for directions any longer.  The 3D-printed Ocean Plastic shoe midsole is intended to demonstrate how the industry can re-thing design and contribute to stop ocean plastic pollution,” according to Eric Liedtke, an executive board member responsible for Global Brands at the Adidas group.

The concept shoe consists of an upper made with ocean plastic content and a midsole which is 3D printed using recycled polyester and gill net content.  The 3D-printed midsole, which cushions the foot and is covered underneath by a thin sole, is made using plastic melted down from old fishing nets. It builds on the brand's Futurecraft technology, which allows the midsoles to be tailored to the exact contours of the owner's feet.

As founding member, Adidas support Parley for the Oceans and its endeavours to end plastic pollution of the oceans.

Earlier this year Adidas showed off a trainer that had an upper made from trash found floating in the oceans.  Its upper was woven using fibres produced from the recycled waste – a technique that is repeated in this latest design.

Adidas has also announced that it will phase out the use of plastic bags from all of its own retail stores. This phase out has already started and will finish by the end of Q1 2016. The company has also stopped using plastic bottles at its HQ in Germany.

Scottish designers chosen to create Zero Waste couture fashion

--- Dynamic duo to influence fashionistas by challenging binning trends ---

Did you know that in the UK alone, garments have an estimated life span of two years, three months.   It is estimated that £140million worth (350,000 tonnes) of used clothes ends up in landfill each year, which is over 30 percent of our wardrobes.

Now that is a lot of wastage and those figures signify that we simply have too much clothes.  

So it is encouraging to learn that an initiative, part of the Love Your Clothes campaign will see two Scots textile and fashion designers joining forces with the charity company the Salvation Army to transform old garments into new clothes and to remind people that clothes should never be thrown away as they always have a value.

The two designers from Scotland chosen for this one-off opportunity are sustainable textile designer Aimee Kent and Jemma Wood, owner of Black Cherry Studio.  

They will embark on a 12-week residency to create two new “fashion-forward” collections from 150 kilos of unwanted garments. They will create couture collections from clothes donated to Salvation Army charity shops and clothing banks, thereby transforming them into catwalk-worthy creations.  Both designers will receive £3,500 for the residency of 12 weeks. They will also get to retain the collection at the end of the project.

The commission will finish on 28 February 2016 and the collections will be unveiled in March 2016.  

Specialising in printed textiles, joint winner Aimee Kent (above left) - who has worked with Henrietta Ludgate and Niki Taylor from The Top Project and Olanic, said: “I feel honoured to have been chosen to take part. This opportunity is the perfect fit for me, because I already run a sustainable surface pattern design which focuses on the re-use of materials. I want to create designs that can be worn again and again and never go out of style. That’s what I intend to do here.”

Speaking of the upcoming challenge, Jemma Wood (above right), owner of Black Cherry Studio said: “It feels absolutely amazing to have been selected. We were blown away when we heard the news. I have lots of great ideas that I am keen to get started on.   I want to create a meaningful collection that brings together elements of both the Salvation Army and Zero Waste Scotland. Our specialism is textile print, which will breathe new life into the unwanted garments and shoe people that with a little creativity you can turn the unwanted into the desirable. I can’t wait to get started.”

The Salvation Army Trading Company, one of the largest clothing recyclers in the UK receive around 30,000 tonnes of donated textiles each year, which helps raise vital funds for the charity’s work with vulnerable people. 

Catherine Hamou from The Salvation Army Trading Company said:  “There is so much value in textiles that people often don’t see.

 “As a charity that works with vulnerable people all over the country, we see the effects of poverty every day; clothing should never been thrown away when it can be reused or re-worn. Donating textiles to charities like us means that you’re helping to raise millions of pounds each year for people who need it most – and not only that, but you’re helping to prevent hugely unnecessary waste that could be heading straight to landfill,” said Catherine.

The charity is well known across the country, helping to fund programmes with homelessness and addiction services, care for older people, help at emergency incidents, support for adult victims of human trafficking in England and Wales, a Family Tracing Service and more. 

Lynn Wilson, textiles manager, Zero Waste Scotland said: “All textiles have a value and can be used again and again; clothing should never be put in the bin. 

“I believe that with a little TLC, most unwanted clothing can be transformed into something valuable. We really want people to see there is worth in their clothes," said Lynn.