• HAVING read the letter from Lorena Vesco, manager of the Mind Charity Shop in Stroud Green Road, I could not agree more, (Charities’ shops are being used as dumping grounds, April 23).

Unfortunately this has happened all too often during the past three months or so of lockdown.

I do volunteer work at the Highbury Corner branch of Marie Curie and during lockdown when passing the shop, despite it being obvious that it was closed, I often saw donations left outside and the contents strewn around the pavement.

Another problem is that on reopening, earlier this month, shops would be short-staffed due to people leaving etc and also having stock that had sat for the time of closure without being sorted.

If you ring in first the shops will be able to let you know what they are able to take in, bearing in mind that we all only have a limited space in which to store donations before being able to sort them and put them on the shop floor.

Yes, we do welcome donations, but please do help by not leaving them outside the shop when closed. Often we have items donated that are not saleable and we have to use the council’s trade waste to take it away, which costs as well.

Please think before leaving stuff outside when shops are closed. Weather can also ruin items.

JE KIRBY
Clissold Crescent, N16