Clothes for Causes any info

[Clothes for causes]

Please see below the organisations & social enterprises Clothes for Causes are supporting for 2014.

East Dulwich is supporting Pecan.org.uk

Forest Hill is supporting Pavement to Catwalk

Eltham is supporting Avery Hill Charitable Trust Sidcup Foodbank.

Full details of each organisation will be available in the shops today.

Our application to the Charity Commission has been submitted.

It is standard practise to trade initially as we have to provide proof of funds raised, every Charity even the largest will have adopted the same process before being eligible for registration.

Full information is available on the website Charitycommission.gov.uk

To reiterate we are a non profit organisation and 100% volunteer led, raising funds to be distributed for the relief of poverty and welfare within our communities.

Unfortunately we will no longer be responding on this forum as advised by the police and legal team where an investigation into malicious communications is ongoing.

This year would not have been possible without the support of our fantastic customers, donors and companies that have very generously supported us, not least the wonderful volunteers who keep our shops open.

Thank you also to the local business owners of East Dulwich for their kind words of support, it is very much appreciated.

As always I can be contacted on 07447014694.

Kind regards.

Veronique

[Administrator]

Please feel free to send me a PM regarding any malicious communications, especially if they involve the forum and I'll see if I can help.

[ChezzaB]

Hi All

First I'd like to say....Maaaaaan you guys are a tough crowd, yes I get the point of "not being registered as a charity" but just to balance up all the negativity..

I decided to try to get together 5/6rucksacks filled with essentials to give out to rough sleepers on Valentines Day in the West End- after a posting on Facebook asking my mates and people I volunteer with at Crisis if they could help out and donate any if the items or a rucksack Itself , I ended up whether 30 of them saying they want to help out.

So I thought Ok, we've only got a month but I could do more,so I reposted on Fbook aiming to try to get 50 rucksacks filled for Valebtines..I must have sent out 25 request lastnight to different companies - mostly large chains like superdrug, the body shop etc - figured they could take the hit financially V a much smaller independent organisation, atleast half replied today and every response was a "NO" we already have large registered Charities we work with and not open to funding any more" began to think I'm screwed - no way am I gonna get 5 let alone 50 rucksacks done at this rate..

But it was then a very lovely lady called Veronique at " Clothes for Causes" messaged me this evening and said she had come across my Facebook event and "Clothes for Causes" would be happy to supply much of the clothing I had listed for each rucksack. All I need to do is arrange to collect!

So I'm sure what everyone's definition if Charity but this is mine, there's no money involved , doesn't appear to be any hidden agenda just someone seeing I was trying to do something on my own and stepping up to help out..

I'm not a charity, nor a school, I'm not a service provider, these types of groups often have or have access to funding. I'm just a regular bod from Brixton who decided to do something and my only help will every come from organisations like this as small causes aren't recognised as valid recipients of funding.

So I'm pretty glad that Clothes for Causes exists and pretty sad that the same evening I get the donation a random google search for additional donations brings this thread up.

Maybe check in to them a bit more before dogging them on a very public and local forum which will undoubtedly impact sales and the work they are trying to do in Your community!!

There are endless much larger organisation who CAN but chose to do nothing to help..I think the negativity here would be better spent pointed in that direction!

Please find a Link to my Facebook event that Clothes for Causes are very kindly donating to incase anyone's interested or maybe wants to join us or donate themselves!

https://www.facebook.com/events/317383598458542/

Kind Regards

Chez Brewster

Bags "A" Love

[speedbird]

With all due respect ChezzaB, how is supplying rucksacks/clothing to people in the West End helping the community? Centrepoint have a much bigger operation that helps many more people sleeping rough on the streets of London.

Clothes for Causes is random, has no definitive guidelines and you feel that your money could be used to line the pockets of those that own it.

Good for you doing your bit.

[ChezzaB]

Hi Speedbird

The point I was trying to make ( maybe not clearly) is no one on here appears to have done much investigating - though a response from CFC within this thread clearly lists the local causes they are involved in. That part of the string seems to have been conveniently ignored instead everyone seems to be doing they're utmost to damage the reputation of the place without the proper facts and when CFC have already stated local inititiatives they fund by closing them down with the use of a public forum is how you will damage and take away from your community.

Unless you have an alternative organisation to cover the local causes they are currently supporting..

With soo much other stuff going on in the world if I'm honest this thread comes off as pretty spiteful and a tad bullyish..

But Thanks re doing my bit.... I try and Its surprising how much you get back from giving, so it's not really like I have to try at all..

Enjoy what's left if your day

Chez