Charity reveals strangest donations to its shops in 2021

The children's charity Barnardo's has published the list

Author: Seb Cheer, with PA Reporter Lottie KilrainePublished 22nd Dec 2021

What do false teeth, a scorpion and a slice of pizza have in common?

They're all items that have been donated to charity shops run by Barnardo's in the last year.

The children's charity has published a list of some of the most bizarre offerings.

It's part of a Christmas appeal for donations to its 620 stores across the UK.

Appealing for unwanted Christmas presents

Barnardo's shared the weird donations as part of an appeal to encourage people to give their unwanted Christmas gifts to their local branch, where all profits will go towards helping vulnerable children and young people.

Roy Clark, managing director of Barnardo's Trading Companies, said: "Most of us have received Christmas presents that may be of good quality and cost a fair bit - but are just not suitable for ourselves.

"So instead of putting them at the back of the drawer and forgetting about them, why not donate to your local Barnardo's store?"

Odd offerings across the UK

Staff and volunteers received donations including a scorpion preserved in a jar of formaldehyde in St Andrews, in Scotland, which has since been given to the local university, and a farmer's lamb castrating tool donated in rural Kendal, Cumbria.

In Glasgow, a handbag was donated with a set of false teeth inside, while staff in Catterick, North Yorkshire, were delighted to receive a man's coat until they discovered a slice of pizza inside.

Santa's reindeer may have already enjoyed one donation in Wolverhampton, in the West Midlands, as it consisted simply of several ends of carrots, while one shop in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, received a bag of moss.

Chocolate gift boxes are always happily received, but a tin of crab meat with a best-before date of 2015 did not go down well in Pitlochry, Perthshire.

IN PICTURES: A selection of the strangest of the strange charity shop donations...

Carrot ends

Santa's reindeer may have already enjoyed one donation in Wolverhampton, in the West Midlands, as it consisted simply of several ends of carrots

Haemorrhoid cushion

Staff received a haemorrhoid cushion in Wolverhampton

Sheep castrator

A farmer's lamb castrating tool was donated in rural Kendal, Cumbria!

Whiteboard with family message

Volunteers and staff at one shop were given a whiteboard with a powerful message

World leaders

In one London store a contributor donated a set of four portraits of historical figures in matching frames - depicting fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong, Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Dracula, and former prime minister Margaret Thatcher.

Coat... with added pizza!

Staff in Catterick, North Yorkshire, were delighted to receive a man's coat until they discovered a slice of pizza inside

Sports shorts... with added message

Staff in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, were cheered by a message that accompanied a pair of men's sport shorts which read: "Wear these at your leisure, wear with pride and pleasure, and keep them safe to treasure. Geoff. X."

Handbag... with added false teeth

In Glasgow, a handbag was donated with a set of false teeth inside

An actual USED toilet brush 👀

Even a used toilet brush was donated in Colwyn Bay in Conwy, North Wales

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