Clothing banks at Nisa retailers raise over £5,700 for local causes

Nisa retailers have raised more than £5,700 for Making a Difference Locally, the symbol group’s charity, through the clothing banks situated outside the stores.

The initiative, launched in May last year, currently 42 units, allow Nisa retailers to accumulate additional money into their MADL fund.

Besides enabling them to provide further support to their local communities, the move also helps retailers to contribute their bit to the planet by reducing the environmental impact of unwanted clothing and textiles.

MADL clothing banks are available free of charge to Nisa retailers, in partnership with Nathan’s Waste Savers, and every clothing and textile donation is either sold, reused, or recycled so nothing goes to waste.

The banks require no maintenance from retailers as they are installed, serviced, and emptied regularly free of charge, making them a simple and hassle-free way for retailers to raise additional charity funds. Once clothing banks have been weighed and emptied, funds raised are banked into the store’s MADL account and donated to a local good cause of the store’s choosing.

In addition, any warm clothes donated via the recycling banks are currently being sent directly to Ukraine and Poland to support refugees and others in need due to the conflict.

Somerset-based retailer Gwilliams of Edington has had MADL clothing banks sited in its customer car park since last June, which have raised almost £850 for local causes to date.

Store manager, Jo Hellier said: “The MADL clothing banks have gone down really well since we introduced them, so much so that we now have three of them and they can raise up to around £140 in a month as they’re so popular with the locals!”

Kate Carroll, Nisa’s Head of Charity, said: “The clothing banks are a great way for retailers to raise more for local causes whilst also helping communities to reduce their environmental impact, by disposing of unwanted clothing in a more sustainable way.

“It’s great to see preloved textiles being given a new lease of life and making a difference for good causes rather than ending up in landfill, and wonderful to see so many Nisa partners and their customers getting behind the initiative.”