Walking down the high street one Monday morning recently I saw our intrepid Jean, picking up bags from outside the QEF charity shop (closed on a Monday) and putting them in her rub-bish cart. “Look at it all!” she said. Boxes, bags and furniture, left outside the shop and literally spilling across the pavement.
This is what is known as fly tipping and as such carries an £80 on the spot fine.
You might think that by leaving your donations outside the charity shops you are doing them a favour. But it defeats the object. Shops do not accept donations left outside. They are obliged to dispose of them, due to health and safety rules. Jean had called the fly tipping squad to come and collect what she could not take away.
The shops have notices on the windows stating “Do not leave donations outside”. Please do as they ask. Donate on the days when the shops will take them. Hand them over personally. The shops can then sell your donated goods and raise money for good causes. Your goods do not end up in landfill, and you will not be creating a fly tipping problem. Some people complain about Shepperton having too many charity shops, but I love them! So many treasures that other people no longer want. So let’s make sure those goods end up where they can do good, and not in the bin!