Since 2016, Ripon City of Sanctuary has been collecting clothing donations for asylum-seekers and refugees in the wider region. We are grateful for the generosity of people in and around Ripon who have donated good-quality clothing which is delightedly received at:
- Wakefield District of Sanctuary, which deals directly with newly arrived asylum-seekers, who usually arrive with only what they stand up in
- Welcome House and Open Doors, two refugee support projects in Hull
- PAFRAS in Leeds.
For the sake of the individuals’ dignity, please only donate high-quality used or new items. Do read the section below on donating safely during COVID. Also, please bear in mind that very few recipients are aged over 40, so clothing needs/tastes are at the younger end.
We currently need (updated November 2022):
- NEW or VERY lightly worn shoes, especially men/s (trainers would be ideal)
- LUGGAGE – quality used suitcases, rucksacks and holdalls
- ADULTS ONLY – new or very lightly worn sweatshirt/hoodie tops, coats/jackets, jogging bottoms, sweaters, and skinny jeans
- SCHOOL UNIFORMS for boys and girls, including schoolbags – see dedicated page about school uniforms for refugee children
- NIGHTWEAR quality used or new items for adults and children
- BLACK LEGGINGS – for women and children aged 8 upwards
- NEW UNDERWEAR AND SOCKS for men, women and children
- Baby playmats
We sometimes need (but please check with us first):
- Buggies/pushchairs
- Moses baskets
- Good towels
- School stationery like pens, pencils, sharpeners, rubbers, pencil cases, ruled pads, etc
- Children’s toys (nothing with batteries; nothing requiring reading instructions in English; nothing that could ruin carpets; no books)
We don’t currently accept:
- Bedding – no duvets, pillows, duvet covers, sheets, blankets etc, please.
- Household goods and furniture, including lamps and kitchen equipment
- Books
- Soft toys and hand-made teddies.
How can you donate clothing safely?
- Please check and empty all pockets
- Please don’t donate pilled, stained or ripped items
- For COVID reasons, please wash everything that can be washed (other than brand-new items), although obviously you can’t wash a heavy coat
- Please put everything into a strong plastic bag and tie the top
- Then leave the items untouched for at least 3 days before donating.
Can you give money instead?
- We accept cash or cheques made payable to ‘Ripon City of Sanctuary’
- You can donate online (but please tell us you’ve done so, so we can ring-fence it for clothing).
Our policy is not to pass money to other organisations, so we’ll use your donation to buy items which we will then pass on to the groups mentioned above.
How can you get donations to us?
- Drop off in the lobby of Allhallowgate Methodist Church, Ripon, in the large plastic containers shown
- Alternatively, please email us or send us a message via Facebook.
Any queries?
Please just drop us an email.