Social Firms UK

The 'Give with Care’ campaign is launched this month and aims to help those who want to give to charity identify the genuine charitable appeals amongst the many leaflets and bags that get dropped through their letter boxes.

The Association of Charity Shops estimates that between £2.5 and £3 million is lost to charities through theft and people mistakenly giving unwanted clothing to commercial companies in the belief that they are giving to charity.

The campaign includes four top tips for spotting a genuine charity clothing collection:

Social Firms UK member, Ten Green Bottles Powys CIC, has opened a new shop in New Radnor, Powys. Stocking plenty of gifts and all sorts of glassware using recycled bottles, it's bound to be busy. If you're in the area, pop in and show your support.

Pat Bend, Sales Manager at the Birmingham based Social Firm, Textiles by St Anne's, is celebrating an order from an International curtain company which she puts down to the Future Jobs Fund. Six of the employees are financed by the government initiative and the increased workforce gave Pat the opportunity to bid for larger contracts. Pat believes the hires also bring a positive work ethic and new skills base which their service users with mental health problems can aspire to.

Social Firms UK recently ran a competition for schoolchildren to consider what would make a good Social Firm. Two groups of teenagers aged between 14 and 16 years old, one from Bournemouth and one from Manchester have been selected as the winners.