At Voluntary Action Islington, we partnered with Chapter Kings Cross a student accommodation provider to give unwanted linen a new home.
Why reuse matters
According to WRAP report, around 711,000 tonnes of used textiles were discarded in general waste in the UK in 2021. This includes clothing and household textiles.1 Partnerships like this one help give usable items another life in the community.
From student rooms to local charities
When students finished their studies and prepared to return home, they left behind linen that was still in good condition. Chapter Kings Cross worked with Smarter Services Ltd to collect and remove it from the rooms. Complete Stay Services then generously washed the linen free of charge, helping to prepare it for redistribution.
More than 250 items were washed, folded and packed into bags. The donations included towels, pillowcases, sheets, duvet covers, bathmats and mattress protectors.
Rather than let this usable linen go to waste, we contacted charities in Islington and the surrounding areas. These included organisations supporting single parents, LGBTQ+ refugees, people experiencing homelessness, and people affected by health, income and social inequalities, as well as charities that provide shower facilities. The response showed us how much demand there is for these everyday essentials and helped us find new homes for the donations.
Organisations that collected the linen
Manor Gardens, Islington – providing multilingual and culturally aware support to help address health, income and social inequalities within the local community.
Holloway Neighbourhood Group – a charity creating community impact through the Old Fire Station Community Centre and Stress Project Therapy Clinic.
Parent house - a charity which help parents unlock life-changing opportunities'
Say It Loud Club – supporting LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and refugees by creating a safe, empowering and supportive community.
Thank you to Chapter Kings Cross, Smarter Services Ltd and Complete Stay Services for making this possible, and to the local organisations helping the linen reach the people they support.
The linen finds new homes
See photos of local organisations collecting linen to share with the people they support.
- Statistics found on WRAP - Textiles Market situation report 2024 - https://www.wrap.ngo/resources/report/textiles-market-situation-report-2024 ↩︎
