Donate items to St Luke’s
St Luke’s relies on the generosity of our supporters, who donate high-quality pre-loved items to sell in our charity shops. On this page, you’ll find guidance on what you can and can’t donate, and how to get your items to us.
Donate items to charity and help stock our shops
When you donate items to charity through St Luke’s, they’re sold in our Sheffield shops to help fund local hospice care. You can donate during opening hours at our retail stores, or visit our Donation Centre up at Burngreave, from Monday to Saturday, 10am to 3pm. The Donation Centre offers a simple drive-in drop-off service for non-furniture items and is the easiest way to donate.
Before donating, please make sure your items are clean, safe to use and suitable for resale, and we ask that you don’t leave them outside closed shops. We’re grateful for every contribution, but damaged or unsellable items must be disposed of. This costs us time and money, which reduces the funds available for our specialist care and support services.
Things to bear in mind before donating
St Luke’s doesn’t have the equipment to repair, wash or upcycle unsellable items
There are certain items we can’t accept due to legislation or health and safety
Please pack your pre-loved items safely and securely to avoid damage
Please consider the weight of your bags and boxes so that they’re manageable
We no longer accept rag donations (unsellable textiles), and these will cost us to dispose of
Thank you for supporting St Luke’s and helping us manage donations safely and responsibly.
What can you donate?
Thank you for choosing to donate items to St Luke’s charity shops. Your generosity helps us raise a portion of the funds needed to care for people in Sheffield living with advanced or terminal illness, as well as support for their families. To help us make the most of every donation, please check what we can and can’t accept before visiting.
Charity shop donations we can accept
We’re happy to accept the items listed below if they’re clean, safe and in good condition. These items meet legal requirements and can be safely sold in our shops.
Clothing, shoes, and accessories (clean and wearable)
Jewellery and handbags
Books, vinyl records, CDs, and DVDs
Children’s toys with a CE/UKCA mark
Good-quality, saleable homewares and bric-a-brac
Working electrical items that are less than 5 years old and have a CE/UKCA mark
Furniture with a fire safety label attached (selected stores only)
Soft furnishings or upholstered furniture with a fire safety label (selected stores only)
Divan bases with a fire safety label and the original mattress in pristine condition (selected stores only)
If you can, please donate to a shop that sells the same type of item. This helps our retail teams sort and sell donations sooner, so we can raise as much as possible for patient care. You can find details of what each shop stocks on our Find Our Shops page.
Items we can’t accept – by category
There are some items we can’t accept due to legislation, health and safety requirements, or because they cannot be safely sold. Please check the information below before donating, or contact donationline@hospicesheffield.co.uk if you’re unsure about a specific item.
Upholstered furniture without a fire safety label (including furniture sets)
Upholstered foam-filled furniture
Cushions and cushion covers (unless new with tags)
Duvets, quilts, and pillows (unless new and sealed in their original packaging)
Blinds with cords (unless new and sealed in their original packaging)
Rugs (unless in excellent condition with a fire safety label attached)
Triple wardrobes
Tall corner units
Glass TV stands or units
Heavy tables (e.g., marble or granite)
Inflatable mattresses and other inflatable items
Carpets and carpet offcuts
Coat hangers
Electrical items that are more than 5 years old or without a CE/UKCA mark
White goods (e.g., fridges, freezers, washing machines, tumble dryers, ovens, microwaves, and dishwashers)
Light fixtures and fittings
Electric blankets
Electric showers
Power tools (unless new and sealed in their original packaging, with instructions)
Sunbeds and tanning equipment
Desktop and laptop computers
Tablets, phones, and other devices
Home-recorded or copied DVDs / CDs, computer games, and software
Computer hard drives and external hard drives
Cots, baby gates, and highchairs
Pushchairs, baby bouncers, and slings
Children’s car seats and booster seats
Breast pumps and baby monitors (unless new and sealed in their original packaging)
Toys without a CE/UKCA mark
Gas appliances of any kind (mains or bottled)
Gas and electric cookers (including oil / gas-fuelled range cookers, like AGA)
Electric fires, firepits, and barbecues
Heaters of any type (e.g., patio, electric, oil, petrol, or diesel)
Oil-filled radiators (unless fitted with a thermostat)
Hardwired storage heaters
Hot water bottles (unless new and sealed in their original packaging)
Flammable items (e.g., firelighters and barbecue lighting tools)
Bicycles, scooters, and skateboards
Roller blades, roller skates, and ice skates
Table tennis tables and snooker tables
Freestanding basketball / netball hoops
Golf clubs
Life jackets, buoyancy aids, and inflatable pool items
Helmets of any type (e.g., cycle / motorbike helmets, hard hats, and riding hats)
Safety seats and harnesses
Firefighting equipment (e.g., fire extinguishers and smoke / CO2 detectors)
Toiletries, cosmetics, and scents (unless new and sealed in their original packaging)
Personal care appliances (e.g., shavers, foot spas, hair trimmers, and epilators)
Medication of any kind (including vitamins)
Blood pressure monitors
Prescription glasses
First aid kits
Dentures and prosthesis
Mobility aids or disability equipment (e.g., wheelchairs, walking frames, Zimmer frames, crutches, shower handles, commodes, shower seats, and mobility scooters)
Firearms and ammunition
Bladed items (e.g., kitchen, steak, flick and sports knives)
Guns, crossbows, and realistic toy weapons
Fireworks and explosives
Perishable goods, food, and drink (including alcohol)
Cigarettes, tobacco, and related products (e.g., ashtrays)
Cleaning agents, solvents, adhesives, and paint
Organs and pianos
Fish tanks and vivarium tanks
Animal cages and beds (including litter trays)
Official uniforms (unless vintage)
Magazines and brochures
Adult materials and items
Items made from fur, ivory, bone, tortoiseshell, or endangered species
When can you donate?
To give us the time and space to manage donations safely, some stores are only able to accept donations on certain days. Use the table below to check when each shop is taking donations (✔). For opening hours and shop-specific donation guidance, go to St Luke's Shop Finder.
Donate furniture in store or book a free collection
St Luke’s can only accept furniture donations at our dedicated furniture stores in Crookes and Kilner Way. Before visiting, please call the store to check there’s space for your items and that they meet our health and safety requirements. You can find contact details and other helpful information on our Find Our Shops page.
Our Crookes and Kilner Way stores are also charity shops that can collect from your home. If you’re unable to bring furniture to the store, you can arrange a free home furniture collection by completing the form on our Furniture Collections page, calling our Donation Line on 0114 235 7562, or emailing donationline@hospicesheffield.co.uk.
Need help with your charity shop donation?
If you have questions about what to donate, when to bring items in or which shop to visit, our retail team is happy to help.
More ways to support St Luke’s retail arm
Find your nearest St Luke’s charity shop and discover the many items available, all while supporting your local community.
Our eBay and Vinted marketplaces make it easy to shop sustainably and make a meaningful contribution to hospice care.
When you opt into Gift Aid, St Luke’s can claim an extra 25% from HMRC on the sale of your donated items, at no cost to you.
Get updates from St Luke’s retail team
Keep up with new stock, shop announcements and behind-the-scenes stories from our retail team. Hear how you can support us as we grow our retail chain across Sheffield and online, and help raise the vital funds needed to continue our care.
Thank you for supporting St Luke’s
By donating items, shopping with us, or simply taking the time to support our work, you help St Luke’s provide specialist palliative care, comfort and companionship to everyone affected by advanced or end of life illness in Sheffield, at no cost to the users.
FAQs about charity shop donations
St Luke’s charity shops stock different types of items, depending on the location. If you can, please donate items to a shop that already sells them. This helps our teams sort and sell donations sooner, so we can raise as much as possible for patient care.
You can use our Shop Finder to see what each shop sells and when donations are accepted. Before donating, please make sure your pre-loved items are clean, safe to use and in a saleable condition. Thank you for supporting St Luke’s.
You can make a charity clothes donation to any St Luke’s retail store during opening hours. Please make sure donated clothes are clean, undamaged and suitable for resale.
Sorry – St Luke’s doesn’t use clothes donation bins in Sheffield. However, you can easily donate by visiting any of our charity shops across the city, or by dropping items off at our Donation Centre. For more information, including locations and opening times, please see our Find Our Shops page.
St Luke’s is happy to take DVD and CD donations. Please make sure they’re the original discs, in their original cases and in good working order. We can’t accept home-recorded or copied discs.
You can donate electrical goods to St Luke’s if they are less than five years old, are in full working order and have a CE/UKCA mark.
We can accept new and used curtains. For safety reasons, we can’t accept blinds with cords unless they’re new and sealed in their original packaging.
For hygiene reasons, St Luke’s can only accept cushions and cushion covers that are new and have their original tags attached. If you’re unsure about an item, our shop teams are always happy to advise.
For hygiene reasons, St Luke’s can only accept duvets, quilts and pillows that are new and sealed in their original packaging. If you’re looking for charity bedding donations near you, some specialist recycling schemes or animal charities may be able to help with your used items.
Unfortunately, St Luke’s can’t accept mobility aids or disability equipment. This includes wheelchairs, walking frames, Zimmer frames, crutches, shower handles, commodes, shower seats and mobility scooters.
If the equipment was loaned by the NHS or social services, we suggest contacting the service that provided it to arrange a return. Some specialist charities may also accept these items, so consider checking in your area.
You can donate items to charity by bringing them directly to a St Luke’s retail store or our Donation Centre during opening hours. If you have large items or a significant number of charity donations, please contact your local shop in advance so we can plan your visit.
Your charity shop donations help stock our retail stores across Sheffield. Every item sold goes towards funding specialist palliative and end of life care at St Luke’s, helping us keep our services free of charge for patients living with advanced or terminal illness and their families.