What exactly do you collect?
We collect new pants for adults and children, and new and gently worn (laundered) bras. Please visit our donations page which has all the details.
What sizes of underwear do you collect?
We accept all sizes, but the sizes we need most are outlined on our donations page.
Do you collect all kinds of bras?
We collect all new and gently worn traditional (and nursing and sports) bras that still have good wear left in them, but we don’t collect cropped tops or bikini tops.
Do you collect any other underwear or clothing?
No, just the underwear listed on our donations page.
What do you need most, pants or bras?
We always need new pants the most.
Do you collect sanitary pads?
No, just the underwear listed on our donations page.
How do I get things to you?
Everything needs to be sent to Five Sisters Business Park, Westwood, West Calder, EH55 8PN.
Do you have any local collection points?
We don’t have local collection points as we’re only a small charity and can’t cover the costs required to support them. Any donations need to be sent to our address in Scotland. And that’s something you need to factor in, particularly if you’re planning a large collection.
Do you have freepost?
Sorry, we don’t have freepost. We’re a small charity and can’t afford the costs involved.
Can I drop things off at your address?
Yes, if it’s more convenient to drop things off then you can. The park is open Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm. If these times don’t suit, please email [email protected].
Do you acknowledge donations of underwear when you receive them?
We can only acknowledge your donation if you enclose an email address with your parcel. If you do this, we’ll send you a wee thank you message once it’s been opened and sorted. Please be aware, however, that it can take a few weeks from when you send a parcel before you hear from us. We’re unable to respond by post because, as a small charity run almost exclusively by volunteers in their spare time, we don’t have the resources to allow us to do this.
To find out more, please see acknowledging receipt.
Can I donate underwear directly to you online?
We’ve set up a buy-to-give wish list on our website which offers a quicker, easier and more economical way to donate pants. You can simply ‘buy’ pants from us that we purchase on your behalf wholesale, saving postage and giving access to keener prices. Donating this way also helps Smalls, because it means we can get exactly what we really need – sizes, quality, styles – at any time to be able to fulfil the underwear requests we receive.
Here’s how it works:
- Simply add any item to your basket and click on ‘checkout’ to purchase it.
- Shortly afterwards, you should receive a confirmation email.
- Once your order has been processed, you should also receive a thank-you email letting you know it’s been completed.
To find out more, please see http://bit.ly/give-sfa.
How can I donate money to you?
To find out how you can donate money online to support our work, please see here.
And we’ve joined easyfundraising.org.uk where retailers donate funds to charities every time you shop, with no cost to you. Thousands of retailers are on board, including John Lewis, Aviva, trainline and Sainsbury’s. Every time you shop online through easyfundraising.org.uk the retailer will make a donation to Smalls for All® if you choose us as the charity you want to support. You just need to set up an easyfundraising account online and/or download the app.
What are the funds you raise used for?
We use the money we raise to help with the costs of running our charity – for example, to pay the rent and electricity for our sorting premises.
Do you give your underwear to people for free? Or do you sell it?
We give all the new pants and new bras we collect directly to the people we help. Gently worn bras are also given to the women we help as well as sold to family run recycling company LMB to help us raise the vital funds we need to support our work. For example, to pay the rent and electricity for our sorting premises. LMB send the bras they get from us to people in developing economies to help them earn an income by selling bras.
Do you recycle worn bras?
We donate our gently worn bras directly to the people who need them, for free, although we also sell them to a recycling company (LMB) to help us raise the vital funds we need to support our work. For example, to pay the rent and electricity for our sorting premises. LMB send the bras they get from us to people in developing economies to earn an income by selling bras.
If we receive well-worn bras, we don’t donate them to people in need as they’re not fit for purpose. Unfortunately, they need to go to landfill as we’re not aware of any recycling organisation in the UK that’s able to recycle bra textiles; there’s not enough value in the material to make it worthwhile.
Which countries are you currently working in?
Smalls is entirely UK based, but we partner with reputable and established organisations to ensure we get the underwear to those who need it. For example, we’re very fortunate to work closely with National Police Aid Charity (NPAC). They ship to to African nations for free and ensure the underwear gets to those who need our help.
We’re also happy to support specific requests from organisations and groups who perhaps have a base in the UK but are making trips to Africa to visit projects they support. This gives us assurance that the underwear is getting to those that need it. Similarly, we’re happy to support charities that focus on alleviating poverty in the UK by providing them with underwear. For more detail, have a look at the underwear page and underwear timeline and you will see where all the pants and bras have gone so far.