- Sense has seen donated items from people in Crayford treble in the last two months
- The charity hired an additional warehouse next to its existing one at the Bourne Industrial Estate to accommodate the donations
National disability charity Sense has been overwhelmed by the kindness of the Crayford community, which has more than trebled its donations to the charity following home clear-outs during lockdown.
Sense Trading usually receives about 450 bags of donated items each month, but since shops reopened in June the charity has received a whopping 1,600 bags – more than three times the usual amount.
Sense has hired an additional warehouse next to its existing one at the Bourne Industrial Estate to accommodate the extra donations. The charity is now looking for more volunteers to sort stock so that donated items can arrive in Sense shops as quickly as possible, raising more money to support people living with complex disabilities.
Money raised by the donations from the Crayford community will go towards supporting people with complex disabilities, including those who are deafblind, to ensure they aren’t left without advice and expertise during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The children and families that Sense supports typically rely on face-to-face support to use all their senses, including residual vision and hearing, touch, taste and smell, to explore the world. The charity has adapted services throughout lockdown to continue to be there for children, young people and adults in their homes and communities.
Melissa Knapp, Support Team Manager at Sense Trading in Crayford, said:
“We’ve had such a fantastic response from the local community since our shops have reopened and we’re so grateful for their continued support at this challenging time – we can’t thank everyone enough. The money raised by your donations will go towards supporting some of the most vulnerable people in society who need us now more than ever. If anyone would like to volunteer with us to sort the stock we receive, please do get in touch.
“We’re delighted that our Sense shops are safely welcoming customers back through the doors again. Our shops are important hubs for communities and will continue to play a part in bringing people back together post-lockdown.”
Sense shops have reopened with strict new measures to protect the health and safety of staff and customers. These include a 72-hour quarantine for all donated stock, which is also thoroughly cleaned, protective screens at tills, and a limited number of customers in shops to ensure social distancing.
To volunteer at the Sense Trading warehouse in Crayford, please call 01322 554999 or email supportteam.enquiries@sense.org.uk