Milton Keynes-based charity spends £46,000 each year disposing of fly-tipped items left outside their stores

    A local charity has revealed that the ongoing problem of fly-tipping outside their charity shops costs them a whopping £46,000 each year.

    Local residents often drop unwanted items off at Willen Hospice's charity stores across the city, which are then sold to raise funds so that the hospice can continue offering its vital end of life care.

    However, when the shops are closed it seems that people continue to leave items outside - despite clear signage telling them not to. 

    Goods that are left outside of charity stops are contaminated and must be thrown away.

    It is also classed as fly-tipping, a criminal offence that can result in the offender being fined or prosecuted. 

    Fly-tipping is incredibly costly to clean up due to the size of the items that are usually dumped. Willen Hospice has sofas, mattresses and other large pieces of furniture left outside their stores on a daily basis. 

    These items have to be disposed of at the cost of the charity, and they have announced just how much of a drain on resources it can be.

    "We are saddened that this is the scale of the fly-tipping we are faced with most days in Bletchley alone," Willen Hospice said, while sharing images of fly-tipping on Facebook. 

    "Did you know that it costs Willen Hospice around £46k a year to dispose of things that are damaged or unsaleable? That’s an enormous amount of money that could be better spent caring for our patients and their families."

    Willen Hospice has to raise £9 every minute to continue offering the care that they do. They rely on donations, events and sales from their charity shops to continue operating. 

    The charity appreciates donations of items from the local community but wishes to highlight that they should only be delivered during opening hours to ensure items are not wasted.

    "We’d be grateful if you could help us to spread the word that if our shops are closed, items should not be left outside."

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