Parcel locker manufacturer InPost UK has launched a new charity campaign this holiday season called Secret Senda, conducted in partnership with homelessness charity Shelter.
Running until December 31, the initiative ensures that members of the public can use any of InPost’s 2,500 lockers across the UK to send charitable donations to Shelter for free.
It coincides with consumer research commissioned by InPost which reveals that the average person is sitting on £400 (US$533) worth of unwanted items. But despite this, nearly one in five (19%) people will throw away unwanted but valuable items, rather than donating them to charity – with the key excuse for doing so being ‘a lack of time’.
According to Shelter, a household becomes homeless in England every four minutes, and last Christmas alone there were 120,000 children without a home and in temporary accommodation.
Today’s partnership provides consumers with an easy and convenient way to donate, in a bid to support all those whose lives have been impacted by the loss of their home. InPost lockers are accessible 24/7 and positioned at locations such as railway stations, petrol stations and large grocery stores including Tesco, Morrisons and Lidl.
To use the service, consumers must ensure their donated items are well packaged and visit the InPost website to download a mobile QR code. This code will unlock their chosen locker, and ensure the package is safely secured ready for collection and delivery to Shelter.
Jason Tavaria, CEO of InPost, said, “We are extremely proud to partner with Shelter to launch the Secret Senda campaign this Christmas. We know that consumers want to do the right thing and support charities but sometimes struggle with the logistics of dropping off their items. Our partnership will help to remove this barrier by opening up our locker network for hassle-free donations, 24/7, while also helping to keep Shelter’s charity shops stocked over the coming winter months.”
Andy Harris, director of fundraising from Shelter, added, “We’re in the grips of a housing emergency, millions of people don’t have a safe and secure home. Too many have faced a difficult year in cold, damp flats, in unsuitable and unsafe temporary accommodation, or even on the streets. As growing numbers of people need our support, we need yours. Good quality clothes, bags, shoes, accessories and homewares are all really welcome and we’d like to thank people in advance for every donation.”