PILES of unwanted clothes gathering dust in homes across the town have raised thousands for a good cause close to the hearts of firefighters.

Fire stations across Warrington have raised more than £2,531 for The Fire Fighters Charity thanks to diverting more than 15.6 tonnes of clothing away from landfill sites.

It is part of an effort across the county, with Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service collectively raising £22,000 thanks to donations of more than 127 tonnes of clothes.

The fundraising began in 2012 when the fire service agreed to host clothing banks outside a number of stations across the county.

Birchwood Fire Station led the way in the town, raising £1,416 from 8.55 tonnes of clothing, followed by Penketh (£687 from 4.24 tonnes), Warrington (£269 from 1.5 tonnes) and Stockton Heath (£159 from 1.32 tonnes).

Stuart Plaskett, who is service's Fire Fighter Charity coordinator, said: “This is an absolutely fantastic result.

“Not only have we managed to divert more than 125 tonnes of clothing away from landfill sites, helping to protect the environment, but we have also been able to raise a staggering £22,048 for The Fire Fighters Charity.

Warrington Guardian:

“The charity is dedicated to providing essential respite, recuperation and rehabilitation for sick and injured firefighters and their families.

“It relies on donations and fundraising, and the coronavirus pandemic has caused a massive reduction in the level of funding it has received – which is why we are committed to doing all that we can to help.”

Kevin Biles, sales and recycling manager at The Fire Fighters Charity, added: “I cannot express how grateful we really are for all the clothing that we have received from both the staff at Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service and members of the local community.

“We initially began our clothing recycling scheme in 2009, and since then we have enjoyed more than 10 years of continued growth, generating in excess of £4.6million across the UK and re-diverting more than 26,000 tonnes of unwanted clothing away from landfill.

“Our next milestone nationally is to drive income through clothes recycling over and above £5million, and with the fantastic support we receive from services such as Cheshire Fire and Rescue, we will achieve this.

“Through the money we have received, we are able to provide confidential, personalised support to the whole of the fire services community, delivering mental health, physical health and social wellbeing services at our centres, remotely, online and in communities around the UK.”