Highland Hospice in public appeal over donations as overnight drop-offs ruined by rain and left at mercy of birds and thieves
ONE of the Highlands' best-loved charities is missing out on vital funding streams because donations are being left outside shops overnight.
In an appeal to its supporters, Highland Hospice said: "We are devastated to see that many of our recent donations have been ruined from being left outside of our shops.
"We kindly ask that all who generously donate items to us do so in person, not leaving the items outside of our shops overnight or when we are closed.
"Leaving donations outside has meant that all of the contents get ruined by rain, torn apart by birds, and left for anyone to take.
"Our lovely shop staff spend time trying to recover items but sadly as we receive lots of clothes and books, most often they have to be binned.
"Unfortunately this isn't a rare occurrence. We truly appreciate every single item donated to us and hate to see them go to waste.
"Thank you."
Highland Hospice operates 14 shops across the region, including a combined shop and warehouse in Inverness where goods can be donated by the public. In addition, its support group in Dingwall runs the Bits and Pieces charity shop independently and donates all their proceeds to the Hospice.
Other shops can be found in Alness, Tain, Dornoch and Beauly amongst others.
More about Highland Hospice from the Ross-shire Journal
