Can I donate my late mother’s entire house contents to The Salvation Army?

In 1899, the first ever Salvation Army charity shop opened in Kingston upon Hull. The Salvation Army Trading Company’s aim was to raise funds to help with their charitable work. A pretty new idea back then, but it didn’t take long for other charities to jump on board and start their own shops.

Now, they are expanding their range of specialist charity shops. There are two specialist charity furniture shops in the UK – on Wellington Street in Luton and on Dumbarton Road in Glasgow as well as over 20 donation centres.

Assuming you have the authority to donate the items, you’ll need to contact your local Salvation Army centre to discuss the donation.

Salvation Army Donation Centre

They will be able to advise you on what items they can and cannot accept, and whether they have the capacity to take the full contents of a house; receiving a large amount of items can be a significant undertaking, and the Salvation Army may not be able to take everything.

Most of the charity shops will take small portable or occasional furniture items. It’s a good idea to call ahead to check before you visit the shop to donate your items.

For large furniture the two specialist furniture shops (in Luton and in Glasgow) have volunteer collectors and vans who can arrange collection of larger donations, often the next day

As for Electricals, a growing number of The Salvation Army’s charity shops are able to test electrical items safely, but again, best to check if your nearest one will be able to accept those items.