A group of student volunteers from the University of Kent’s Medway campus are helping local charities and raising awareness of homelessness by turning everyday clutter into money.
The volunteers are encouraging fellow students and staff to place their unwanted items in special ‘Making Clutter Matter’ envelopes – given out at dedicated stalls across the University’s Medway campus and its Liberty Quays student residences.
The envelopes are designed to be filled with CDs, DVDs, games, toys and other everyday items and taken to local homelessness charities who sell them on to raise funds. Toiletries can also be donated to the charity Caring Hands, to be placed in washing facilities they offer to the homeless. Other charities involved in the project include: Shelter, Salvation Army and the Strood Community Project.
Candy Yiu, who is studying Business Management at Kent Business School, said: ‘Little things that we do can help to change the life of people that are in need; we feel that it is really meaningful and we are so happy that we can be involved in this project.’
David Coldwell, Volunteer and Skills Development Coordinator at the University of Kent, said: ‘Homelessness affects people all year round and despite a significant push happening around Christmas time, it is a continued plight for many people in our locality. Making Clutter Matter hopes to raise awareness of homelessness, as well as help local charities increase their funds to continue to provide support to people less fortunate.’