We offer a free collection service in Gloucestershire for furniture and white goods.
If you have white goods or furniture to donate, and are unable to transport them to one of our shops, you can request a free collection by emailing the Collections Office at collections@emmausglos.org.uk, by calling us on 01452 413 095, option 4, or by completing our online form.
If you are looking for a house clearance, in other areas of Gloucestershire, please contact us to discuss.
Are you looking for volunteering opportunities? We are recruiting additional volunteer van drivers, and volunteers for our shops. For more information please visit our volunteer page.
Items we can and can’t accept
We accept a wide range of items from furniture and household goods, to clothing, media, and much more. However, while we are extremely grateful for all the donations we receive, due to high waste disposal costs and trading standards, there are some items we are unable to accept due to space, demand, condition and legal reasons. Below you’ll find two lists detailing the kinds of items we can and cannot accept. If you’re unsure about the item that you’re donating, please give us a call on 01452 413 095, option 4.
Items we can accept:
- Good quality furniture (wardrobes, drawers, tables, chairs)
- Sofas
- Bed frames
- Mattresses
- Women’s, men’s and children’s clothing
- Jewellery, bags, accessories
- White goods – fridges, freezers, washing machines
- Small kitchen equipment – microwaves, toasters
- TV’s (with remotes) and projectors
- DVD players/gaming consoles
- Stereo/sound systems
- Lighting
- Fans, heaters and aircon
- Vinyl
- DVDs/CDs
- Books
- Plates, cutlery, household utensils
- Glassware
- Homeware
- Ornaments
- Art work, mirrors, picture frames
Second-hand Furniture
Second-hand furniture must meet the same stringent standards as new furniture on sale in the shops. The Regulations apply to furniture of any description for private use including beds, divans, sofa beds, children’s furniture, cots, cushions, high chairs, mattresses and pillows. The safety provisions require that this furniture must pass the cigarette test, fillings must be fire retardant and the covers must pass the match test.
How to tell whether furniture complies:
Upholstered furniture meeting the new requirements will normally carry a permanent label with the heading ‘carelessness causes fire’. In the case of mattresses, look for a label stating compliance with BS 7177 Any items not bearing this labelling may not conform to the regulations and we are therefore unable to sell them.
Please note that there are some legal requirements for electrical goods to be sold in the shops as follows:
Electrical Goods
All neutral and live pins must have a sleeve and conform to BS1363 All electrical goods must have a CE label. All items are then PAT and function tested in our Gloucester shop prior to resale.
Items we cannot accept:
- Gas appliances (we are not Corgi registered)
- Foam backed carpets (fall apart)
- Pianos (Health and Safety issue. Too heavy for our van crews to move safely)
- Items without the relevant fire/safety labels required by law
- Flat packed MDF furniture (Bits get separated or broken, and items become unsaleable)
- Items that are not ‘fit for purpose’ due to damage or missing parts
- Safety equipment: crash helmets (we cannot test and guarantee the integrity of these items)
- Ladders
- Soft toys and games that do not have CE labels (items without CE label do not meet legal requirements)
- Gas bottles, paint, paraffin, petrol, aerosols or other flammable substance (Health & Safety)
- Inflatable items such as dinghies, mattresses, swimming aids
- Baby equipment, cots, prams, highchairs, walkers, car seats, etc
- Items that have rips, tears, stains, marks or damage that will make it difficult to sell in our shops.
Have smaller items to donate?
If you have smaller items to donate and can transport them yourself, we will gratefully receive them in one of our shops during opening hours. Donations are accepted until the daily capacity is reached, it is therefore advisable to arrive early to avoid disappointment. Large donations to our shops must be pre-booked in advance by calling the shop you are donating to. To find contact numbers and locations for each shop, visit ‘our shops’ page.
Gift Aid it!
Gift Aid increases the value of your donations and means charities can benefit even more at no extra cost to you. If you are a UK taxpayer, kindly agree to Gift Aid whenever you make a donation either over the phone or when we come to collect. Emmaus Gloucestershire will take care of the rest and reclaim the basic rate of tax on the resale price of your donation – that’s a whopping 25p for every £1 we make on the sale of your donated item. We are happy to provide further details on request and will also go through the detail with you at the point that you offer a donation.