Total underwear collected is 1,764,141.

Thank you for sending us a pantastic 2,266 parcels in October.

Since our last Talking Pants, we’ve provided underwear (new pants, new and gently worn bras) to 8 organisations:

• 300 pairs of pants to Days for Girls. The hygiene kits will be going to girls in Somalia.
• 181 pairs of pants to Marie Cassidy who is organising the pants getting to an orphanage in Uganda.
• 480 pairs of pants to Freedom4girls, a period poverty charity working in the UK, Kenya and Uganda.
• 290 pairs of pants to the Edinburgh School Uniform Bank.
• 650 pairs of pants to Tricky Period, an organisation providing essential items to the homeless, and Showerbox, an organisation that enables those in need to have a shower. Based in London.
• 400 pairs of pants to the Tumaini Fund, Kagera, Tanzania.
• The University of Nottingham who received 220 pairs of men’s and ladies’ pants, and bras, for their rucksack project. Each year rucksacks are distributed containing clothing to the homeless community in Nottingham.
• 1,050 pairs of pants and bras to the Noah Mapalo Help Centre in Zambia.

In September 2019 – before any of us had even heard of Covid – we received 6,496 parcels of underwear from our wonderful supporters. THIS September, we received only 2,829. And demand has never been so high ☹. As a result, we’re running very low on pants again, so this month and next, we’re running another appeal for packs of new pants which we hope will boost our stocks.

Sometimes, we receive things specifically for selling to raise funds and we often receive items we don’t collect. So, we’ve opened a wee Christmas shop at the warehouse and are hoping to shortly open a wee shop on eBay too. All the funds we raise will go towards our running costs so that we can keep doing all we can to help those in need of underwear in Africa and the UK. If you’re local to West Lothian, why not pop along to our Christmas shop on the dates below to grab a bargain? For those living further away, do keep a lookout for news about our eBay shop.

In other news, Ecclesiastical’s Movement for Good is open again to receive nominations in their 12 Days of Giving. This means you’re a click away from giving us a chance of winning £1,000, which could make a real difference. Every penny helps us give the gift of dignity.

Please click https://movementforgood.com/12days/index.php?cn=SC041689&ct=poverty and ‘nominate now’!

We hugely appreciate your support; thank you so much, Maria.