Following Swap Shop: on a Saturday in June or July
Thanks to everybody who helped and came to the Swap Shop on Saturday 24th January, which was our 75th. 133 people came, and they collectively took 746 kg of things away with them.
This event was more expensive for us as we had to commercially hire a van to get rid of the leftovers. Together with the hire of the Merry Bells, it cost about £150 to run this event, but thanks to your generous donations, we just about covered our costs.
If you know of anybody with a van who would be willing to help us transport the leftover items to Redbridge, please get in touch.
We would like to thank Wheatley Explorer Scouts for providing refreshments at the Swap Shop on Saturday. They raised £84.39 to help fund their World Challenge trip later this year – a thank you from them to all who contributed. They plan to provide refreshments at our next Swap Shop in April.
Sustainable Wheatley’s Swap Shops are run usually 4 times a year in the Merry Bells village hall on Saturday mornings from 9am to noon.
They are intended to encourage re-use of unwanted items and reduce the volume of material going to landfill.
9 – 10.15am Local residents bring along portable unwanted household items that are too good to throw away but which others may be able to use. These are put on display in the hall.
10.30am – noon Doors are opened for anyone to come and look around and take anything they might find useful. Despite the name it’s not necessary to bring something to take something away, and no money changes hands (although we do ask for donations to cover the costs of hiring the hall and a van to take away what’s left)
Anything left over at the end of the session is disposed of as appropriate through various channels e.g. Freecycle, charity shops or recycling.
Nearly 3 tonnes of waste is diverted from landfill each year this way; avoiding 4 tonnes of CO2 emissions and saving the council significant waste disposal costs.
Some basic rules:
Items must be brought between 9am – 10:15.
Small domestic items only, one person must be able to carry it.
A description of bulkier items including contact details can be posted on a notice board.
Mains powered electrical items must pass a Portable Appliance Test (PAT), which we can carry out on the day.
At Swap Shops we do not accept:
– Dangerous items e.g. knives and other sharp objects
– Old carpets
– Broken goods, or goods with parts missing etc.
– Shoes or clothes
– Cosmetics, paints and liquids
– Cycle helmets
– Children’s car seats
For the items we do not accept, we encourage you to try the following options:
– Wheatley Freebies
– Local waste and recycling centres
During 2025 alone, over 2 tonnes of items were saved from landfill. Since we started Swap Shops in 2006 the total is over 46 tonnes.
Sustainable Wheatley 