- Feel Good
- 30th Sep 2026
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- 0 minute
Autumn wardrobe clear-out? Here’s where to donate clothes in the North East
Swapping sundresses for chunky knits this week? An autumn wardrobe clear-out is the perfect time to donate clothes in the North East to people who’ll get real use out of them.
As you pack away the shorts and dig out the coats, you’re bound to find pieces that haven’t seen daylight in a year. The jeans that never quite fit, the wellies the kids have outgrown, the gym leggings you swore you’d wear. They all deserve better than the back of a drawer.
If you don’t have time to keep on top of selling pieces on Vinted, we’ve rounded up six local charities and organisations where your pre-loved clothes can do some good, just as the colder months roll in.
SMART WORKS NORTH EAST
Based on Collingwood Street in Newcastle city centre, Smart Works North East helps unemployed women land a job with free interview coaching and an outfit to walk in wearing. Workwear goes straight to clients, while pieces with resale value, like that sequinned party top, are sold at its fashion sales to fund the service.
Autumn’s a great time to give, as it’s currently short on outerwear, shoes, bags, and clothing in size 12 and up. There are donation stations from Alnwick to Teesside, but it can’t accept underwear or tights.
Your old blazer’s ready for its next interview.
EMMAUS NORTH EAST
Emmaus North East offers a home, work and tailored support to people who’ve experienced homelessness, and its charity shops rely on donations of good-quality clothing to keep things going. Every jumper and jacket sold helps fund that support.
You can drop your bags at any of its shops during opening hours, and its main base is at 257 Stanhope Road, South Shields, NE33 4RT. If your clear-out spreads beyond the wardrobe, it’ll take furniture, household items, and bric-a-brac too, with free collections for larger pieces.
Your old coat could help fund someone’s fresh start.
ROSIE’S CORNER
Kids shot up over the summer? Rosie’s Corner passes pre-loved baby and children’s clothes, shoes, and school uniform on to families in West Northumberland, either free or for a voluntary donation. Founded by local mum Rosie Gilchrist, it runs drop-ins from its unit on Burn Lane in Hexham and pop-ups in towns across West Northumberland.
Coats, jackets, and snowsuits are all on its list of what families can pick up. Donations depend on stock levels, though, so check the charity’s Facebook page before you head over. Recent collection points have included Acomb Methodist Church and the Co-op on Leazes Lane in Hexham.
Those outgrown school shoes have another term in them yet.
THE KIT HUB
Run by Active North Tyneside, The Kit Hub gives pre-loved sportswear a second life with a simple motto: “Take what you need or leave what you can.” Anyone can donate, swap, or pick up kit for free every Thursday from 10am to 12pm at the Cedarwood Trust in North Shields.
If your clear-out uncovers leggings, trainers, tracksuit bottoms, sports tops, or hoodies, drop them at Cedarwood or at leisure centres including Tynemouth Pool, Waves, and Hadrian Leisure Centre. Between April 2025 and March 2026, the team handed out 1,207 items of activewear.
Those never-worn leggings are finally getting a workout.
LOVE, AMELIA
Set up in 2019 by Steph Capewell in memory of her daughter Amelia, Love, Amelia is a baby bank based at 3 Glaholm Road, Hendon, Sunderland, SR1 2NX. It provides new and excellent-quality pre-loved items to children from birth to 16 who are facing poverty and hardship, and it’s supported more than 24,000 children so far.
If your clear-out turns up babygrows, kids’ clothes, or maternity wear you won’t need again, this is a brilliant home for them. Check the wishlist on the website first to see what’s needed most.
Every bundle goes out with love, just like the name says.
THE PEOPLE’S KITCHEN
Open every day of the year except Boxing Day, The People’s Kitchen in Newcastle has been supporting people who are homeless or vulnerable since 1985. Alongside around 300 hot meals a day, it hands out warm clothes, sleeping bags, and toiletries to the people it calls its Friends.
With winter on the way, a spare coat or a bag of jumpers can make a real difference. The charity sometimes has to pause clothing donations when storage runs out, so check the wishlist on its website before dropping anything at The Alison Centre, Bath Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 5SQ.
Warm layers matter most when the nights draw in.
So before you bag anything up for the tip, give one of these a go.
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