Now that Christmas and new year are over (and we’ve hopefully seen the back of much of the prolonged extreme weather!) many households are finally getting around to doing their traditional new year clear out, albeit a couple of weeks later than usual.

To help people de-clutter and step into 2010 with a spring, Salvation Army Trading Company’s shop in Ryde is launching its first ever gift amnesty.  The promotion will run until the end of February to provide people with the chance to get rid of any unwanted Christmas presents – everything accepted and no questions asked!

What cannot be resold will be recycled wherever possible, meaning the scheme is a environmentally conscious way of getting rid of presents that would otherwise go in the bin or lie around in the back of the cupboard until next Christmas.  All profits from the shop are gift aided to the Salvation Army  to help fund its social work throughout the UK.  

Claire Anderson, shop manager said:

“It’s been an unusual start to 2010 in that as soon as the Christmas break was over, the wintry weather stopped a lot of people from truly getting started with the new year and it’s only now that people are getting round to having their post-Christmas clear out,”

“That’s why we’ve decided to introduce the gift amnesty. We’ve all got friends and relatives who, although they mean well, don’t always get it right when it comes to present buying, but that old saying is true: one man’s trash can be another man’s treasure. We’re accepting everything from clothing to toys, CDs, DVDs and bric-a-brac ? nothing will be turned away and everything gratefully received. It’s the perfect way to spring clean your home and provides a green, charitable and socially conscious way of getting rid of items that you’ll never use yourself.”

Although Claire emphasises that the shop is always looking for quality items in good condition throughout the year, the gift amnesty means that until the end of February nothing will be rejected and what cannot be resold will be recycled wherever possible. And for those customers who have already invested in a 99p re:bag from the shop (a reusable bag which, each time it’s bought in full of donated items, entitles the shopper to £2 to spend in store) the scheme works in exactly the same way.

So donating your unwanted gifts could even pocket you some money to spend on new bargains for yourself! 

For more information on the gift amnesty, visit the shop at 153 High Street or call 01983 568131. For more information on Salvation Army Trading Company, visit www.wear2shop.co.uk