WASTE WEEKEND EVENTS RAISE £30,000 FOR HARLINGTON HOSPICE

Hillingdon residents have helped raise an incredible £30,000 for Harlington Hospice in Hayes, which provides invaluable care for people living with life-limiting illnesses, and their families.

Over the past two years, the local community has donated thousands of items to the Waste Weekend Charity Shop, located in West Drayton, which is run on behalf of the council by Powerday – London’s leading, family-run waste management and recycling business.

The charity shop first opened its doors on 25 January 2020 and has since become the local haven for residents to donate household items to be sold at resale value, rather than be thrown away.

Staffed by volunteers from the Powerday team, the shop is open every weekend for the public to donate and purchase a wide range of items, from golf clubs and bicycles to kids toys and pianos.

This Saturday (1 October 2022), the Mayor of Hillingdon, Becky Haggar, presented a cheque for £20,000 to the Hospice (following a previous cheque presentation totalling £10,000), bringing the running total of funds raised to £30,000 and counting.

Linda Moore, Interim Director of Fundraising at Harlington Hospice, said: “The incredible support we’ve received from the Waste Weekend charity shop means so much to our hospice, and therefore the Hillingdon community. Our specialist teams are there not only for people living with advancing illness, but their family and friends too. They provide care and support day and night to ensure that peoples’ experiences during the last stages of life are dignified and peaceful, and that their time is spent in a way that matters to them. On behalf of the whole team at Harlington Hospice, we are so grateful to everyone who donated to the shop over the last two years, and to the Waste Weekend team for choosing to support our charity.”

John Mckenna from Powerday, who runs the Waste Weekend, added: “We’ve been running the shop for a few years now and if it wasn’t for Hillingdon residents’ generosity, the amount so far would be significantly lower.

“At Powerday we try at all costs to recycle as much waste as possible, ensuring we divert everything from landfill. The Waste Weekends give local people a chance to recycle items they no longer need, and find a bargain or two. The donations help support the exceptional work done at the hospice and we would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has visited our shop over the years and helped us to raise £30,000 for a great cause.”