As we head into another year of economic uncertainty, one thing is for sure: things will get tougher before they get better. The cost of living crisis is affecting more and more people. Figures from the Money & Pensions Service show that millions of people are borrowing to pay for their rent, mortgage,bills and food – and one in five think they will need credit to get through the next three months.
And as the UK’s most vulnerable face the coldest winter months, our job of providing essential clothing for those who need it most is becoming more challenging. We know that our desire to help others isn’t always matched by the financial means to do so. But, even small actions can make a huge difference.
In fact the whole idea behind Clothing Collective was to take simple actions to provide clothing for people experiencing homelessness.
What Clothing Collective Was Set Up For
Like most charities, Clothing Collective was set up to raise awareness and funds for a specific societal problem. It started with a question: What if we could provide an excess of donated clothes to those who need them the most?
Many charity shops have a surplus of donations and yet we know there are people living in poverty, unsuitable accommodation or are sleeping rough who can’t access them. We also partner with organisations including food banks where people can collect their gift cards.
As the name suggests, it’s all about collective action, and providing clothing in a way that gives the recipients agency and autonomy over the wardrobe items they select.
Donate While You Shop At No Extra Cost Via Giving Portals
If you’re not familiar with the concept, a giving portal is a way of donating to charities when you shop with participating online retailers without spending a penny extra. Your retailer will make a donation on your behalf to your chosen charity when you shop with them.
Clothing Collective is now registered with AmazonSmile as well as EasyFundraising. Between them, the giving portals feature over 6000 retailers from supermarkets to clothes shops to energy companies who will each give a % commission of the purchase cost directly to us.
Not sure if a shop and online portal is right for you? To help, take a look at our very short quiz:
Do you…
A) Care about people who are living in poverty, and cannot afford the basics in life such as warm clothes, shoes, socks, gloves or a coat in London and across the UK?
B) Wish you could give more money to support people in need of essential clothing, but feel limited by the cost of living crisis or other outgoings, particularly at this time of year?
C) Do you have some food shopping or household items to buy?
If the answer to some or all of those questions is yes, then shopping via Clothing Collective giving portals is an easy way to fundraise.
How do I Shop and Give Via Online Portals?
Like most good things, getting started with Easyfundraising and AmazonSmile is straightforward. You start supporting Clothing Collective and doing good in just a couple of clicks by following these simple steps:
Easyfundraising
1. Go to https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/clothingcollective /?utm_campaign=raise-more and join for free.
2. Every time you shop online, go to easyfundraising first to find the site you want and start shopping.
3. After you’ve checked out, the brand will make a donation* of between to Clothing Collective at no extra cost to you
*Between 0.5% and 10% depending on the brand.
AmazonSmile
If you’re an existing Amazon user, you can sign up with your existing account. Otherwise, sign up and then go to https://smile.amazon.co.uk/ to get started.
Search for Clothing Collective in the search bar and click select
Click to confirm you have understood you must shop via https://smile.amazon.co.uk/ to support Clothing Collective
Click start shopping to make your purchase and a donation of 0.5% of the price will be made to Clothing Collective once you’ve checked out at no additional cost to you
Where Will The Money I Raise Via Online Shopping Go?
All donations made to Clothing Collective via Easyfundraising or Amazon Smile will help us in our goal to provide essential items of clothing and footwear for people that can’t afford them. Whether it's warm layers or weatherproof coats or a decent-fitting pair of shoes – your donations will help vulnerable people to select wardrobe items throughout the winter and beyond.
What If I Forget To Shop Through The Giving Portals?
You can set up giving Easyfundraising donation reminders in one click via your web browser, which will add a toolbar pop-up every time you visit an eligible retailer or brand. The donations available will then show up in your Google search results, or on a shop website if you go directly to a shop homepage.
You can’t currently set up donation reminders for Amazon Smile on the web browser, but the simplest way to enable it without visiting the website is to use the Amazon App. Go to settings on the main menu and scroll down AmazonSmile and click the Turn On AmazonSmile button. Simple and effective. But not as effective as what your fundraising can do for people in need of essential clothing everywhere.
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