Visitors to Lakeside Village Outlet Shopping donated more than 1,000 bags of clothes, shoes and toys for the RSPCA during 2024.
The total passed the 1,000 milestone during November and, by the end of the year had reached 1,075, breaking the Lakeside Village record for donations to the RSPCA Doncaster, Rotherham & District Branch shops.
April was the month with the most donations, 137 bags, with August second at 129.
Collections for the RSPCA began at Lakeside Village in January 2022, with shoppers bringing their unwanted clothes, shoes and toys to the shopping centre on the last Saturday of each month, to be passed onto the local RSPCA shops.
Mel Medlock, Retail Operations Manager for RSPCA Doncaster, Rotherham & District Branch, said: “We have been blown away by the incredible efforts of everyone who has donated, along with the team at Lakeside for everything they have done over the last year.
‘It is not just the quantity of items being donated, but the quality, which has increased dramatically in the last year or so. I really enjoy visiting Lakeside on the last Saturday of each month to meet and chat with those who are leaving donations, and I’m delighted that we have agreed another year of working with Lakeside Village. Our shops in Doncaster, Thorne and Rotherham raise vital funds and the donations we receive from Lakeside shoppers all go towards supporting local animals in need.”
Abby Chandler, deputy centre manager at Lakeside Village, said:
“Our shoppers have really stepped up to the mark and shown remarkable generosity during 2024. We are proud to support the RSPCA’s work to rehabilitate and rehome animals in need and, given the response since we started this partnership three years ago, it is a charity that is close to the hearts of many of our shoppers.”
The RSPCA is the largest animal welfare charity in the world. To learn more about its work, please visit: www.rspca.org.uk
