From 8-13 November, the University of Westminster Students’ Union’s (UWSU) Environmental Society collected unwanted coats for the charity Hands on London to help keep those in need warm this winter.
The Society was inspired by University staff donating their unwanted coats to the charity Hands on London and decided to do the same. The Society made up a poster and set up collection points within three University sites for all staff and students to be able to donate any unwanted coats for those in need this winter.
Hands on London is an enabler between not-for-profit charities, community groups and volunteers. This year was the ninth year of their joint programme with William Blair called Wrap Up London, which collects unwanted coats. The coats that are donated are distributed to local charities and community groups who directly offer support to people who are homeless, refugees, older people, people fleeing domestic violence and those at risk of living through poverty.
The Environmental Society at the University are a group of students who are passionate about helping the environment, increasing sustainability within the University and raising awareness of global issues such as climate change and plastic pollution.
Dain Son, Head of the Environmental Society, said: “In the end we collected around 20 coats, which was absolutely amazing and fulfilling as we weren’t sure how many donations we’d get due to the short notice. The volunteers for Hands on London were absolutely thrilled to see our donations thanks to all the staff and students who brought their unwanted coats.
“The main aim of the coats collections was for us to raise awareness of fast fashion through a charitable cause. We wanted to show how our clothes can be reused by others in need instead of going to waste. Regardless of how many coats we collected, we hope that more students and staff members at the University of Westminster will consider the life cycle of any item of clothing they own and purchase in the future.”
Learn more about the Environmental Society on the UWSU website.
Learn more about the University’s corporate social responsibility programme.
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