Member Article

Four Housing donates workwear to Red Cross

A housing association has donated a mass of workwear to the British Red Cross following a merger, as part of its commitment to helping local causes.

After recently becoming part of the Bernicia Group, Four Housing has handed over 340 garments including jackets, fleeces and t-shirts, to the Durham City Centre branch of the Red Cross, which are due to be replaced by newly branded Bernicia items,

Volunteers from the Red Cross are currently upcycling the garments and covering over the Four Housing branding before they go on sale. The menswear clothing, previously used by the organisation’s direct labour team, is expected to raise as much as £500 for the charity.

The funds are set to benefit a range of Red Cross initiatives including its Home from Hospital service which provides support to people adjusting to being at home following short hospital stay and its wheelchair hire service which operates from Belmont on the outskirts of Durham.

With the rebrand and the need to replace the large bulk of clothing, not-for-profit housing provider Four Housing was keen to ensure the items were put to good use. Jenny Harvey, Administrator at Four Housing made the approach to the Red Cross, located close to the organisation’s headquarters in Pity Me, and arranged for their deliver to the store.

Dawn Keightley, Group Director of Operations at Four Housing, said: “We’re really pleased our contribution of workwear, which was had become surplus as a result of the rebrand, is being upcycled by the Red Cross and that the funds raised by the sale of the items will benefit a range of important initiatives in the local area. The donation reflects our organisational aims of supporting people within the communities in which we operate.”

Amanda Oliver, Manager of the British Red Cross’s Durham shop is due to attend a local car boot sale with other volunteers from the service with the workwear items at the end of August. Amanda says she is delighted with the large donation of items: “We’re really grateful to Four Housing for the donation; the volume and quality of the stock is absolutely fantastic and amounts to around £500 of much needed funds which will support the vital work underway across the charity. Our dedicated volunteers are busy upcycling the items ready to go on sale and as ever we’re appreciative of their hard work and commitment.”

For further information about Four Housing contact 0300 00 44 444.

For further information about the Red Cross contact 0191 3868270

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Narrative Integrated Communications .