Derbyshire Air Ambulance charity stores open early to allow residents to drop off donations

A life-saving Derbyshire charity has allowed it’s retail staff to return to their stores early this week to give people the chance to safely drop off donations before trading officially restarts.
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From today, teams working at the Alfreton, Allenton, Bakewell, Belper, Buxton, Chesterfield, Derby, Melbourne and Swadlincote stores are asking people to call and book a timed slot when they can safely drop off preloved items they’ve been storing over lockdown.

People will be able to drop off donations until the end of business on Friday, April 9, before stores officially reopen on Monday, April 12, in line with the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown.

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The charity is also organising furniture collections between April 6 and 9, with members of the public being asked to contact and arrange this with their local home store.

The Derbyshire Air Ambulance charity has opened its stores early to allow people to drop off donations safelyThe Derbyshire Air Ambulance charity has opened its stores early to allow people to drop off donations safely
The Derbyshire Air Ambulance charity has opened its stores early to allow people to drop off donations safely

Charity Head of Retail Gemma Ingram said: “We’re aware that our supporters may have been holding onto donations for a few months now, and with trading starting again next week, we wanted to give people in Derbyshire an opportunity to drop off their items in a Covid-secure way using a pre-booked appointment system.”

The enforced closures of The Air Ambulance Service stores during the pandemic have seen the charity - which operates the Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance, Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance, and national Children’s Air Ambulance - lose over £2.2 million in income.

But despite the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, to date the charity has continued to provide crucial frontline support to the NHS by attending an average of 10 potentially lifesaving missions every day throughout the crisis.

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Gemma added: “As a charity, our mission is clear – to continue to provide critical care and lifesaving support to the NHS – but to do this we need the support of people within our communities now more than ever before.

“To donate preloved goods and help our service, all people need to do is give their local store a call to book a drop off time, and for any donations received they will receive a bounce back voucher with 10 per cent discount to be used in store this August 2021.”

To find your local store and to book a donation drop off slot visit www.theairambulanceservice.org.uk/shops/local

For more information visit www.theairambulanceservice.org.uk or call 0300 3045 999.

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