The ‘Big GIVE’ scheme was carried out by a team of 15 volunteers from the Students’ Union Student Community Action Group and staff from its Sustainability team. Held throughout June, the team helped collect, sort and arrange distribution of the items to various charities and to vulnerable members of the community.

The scheme targeted students who were leaving the University’s halls of residence after their first year and moving into private accommodation.  Many students have accumulated clothes, household and food items that would go to waste if they did not have the opportunity to donate items to charities through this scheme.

Around 4,000 students were given the opportunity to take part by bringing their reusable items to designated collection points at the University’s Students’ Union, its halls of residences and other accommodation sites.

Included in the three tonnes of items collected were nearly a tonne of clothes and shoes, a tonne of kitchenware items and just under a quarter of a tonne of food items.  Over 12 charities received donations, including Oxfam, The Julian Trust Night Shelter, The Salvation Army, St Peters Hospice, FareShare and several homeless shelters.

The scheme was set up to help students dispose of superfluous items at the end of the academic year, to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill by students and to benefit the wider Bristol community.

Bettina Urban, SCA Project Big GIVE Co-ordinator, said: “I would like to express my thanks to the staff and student volunteers who helped sort and distribute the items to various charities and the many students who donated their belongings. It’s great to hear that we were able to collect nearly three tonnes of reusable items and I’m delighted to hear that so many students made an effort to recycle and support local charities.

The ‘Big GIVE’ was organised in partnership the Julian Trust Night Shelter who helped provide transport to help distribute the goods. Further information on the scheme is available on the ‘Big GIVE’ website.