Clearing a deceased relatives home during the pandemic?

[Blankiefan]

We need to clear MIL's council house. Its a 2 bed home with all the related furniture and white goods. Loads of stuff is in very good condition (eg a fridge thats 6 months old, a spare bed barely slept on, etc) but we can't find any charity shops or projects who are open so we can donate it. We have a van so can even deliver it if someone could use it. We don't have lots if time as we both work full time from home and we're home schooling.

Beyond calling local obvious charities (most of whom aren't answering; a few we've gotten through to aren't operating currently) does anyone have any ideas of how we could get these items to someone who could use them? I we can't find anything else, it'll all go in a skip.

We're in North Lanarkshire (nearish Glasgow).

Sorry for your loss I would take pictures and stick them onto facebook maketplace. List them as free, and they tend to go very quickly

There’s also the option to list for free on gumtree, or freecycle. We’re also in Glasgow and find very quick responses to both of these.

Facebook marketplace. Weather depending put items in front garden and post in local Facebook group for free.

Can the council help by either leaving them there or giving them to others in need. DV shelters might be able to use them.

If you are local enough to do FB marketplace or local free groups, then its amazing what people want.

Otherwise, I'm afraid far more from my parents house went to the recycling centre than would have normally as I just needed it cleared

Not sure if you’re tried Shelter or the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice

www.princeandprincessofwaleshospice.org.uk/the-charity/shop/house-clearance

scotland.shelter.org.uk/shops/donate_to_a_shelter_scotland_shop

Both sites suggest donations still welcome and collection may be available. I saw a shelter van in my street a few days ago picking up furniture.

Otherwise a local Facebook group!

Sorry for your loss OP. It may not be available in your area but I've had two emails relating to this this week. One I believe waa British heart foundation who are still collecting usable furniture by booked delivery and donated goods via post, as below.

www.bhf.org.uk/shop/donating-goods/post-your-donations

If you google charity donation by post or similar I expect there are others that may help. I am 100% sure I had an email from another charity offering the same drop off postal service for goods but can't recall who it was.

Emmaus charity support people moving into their own place after shelters and time on the street. Are any of these near you?

Emmaus

We live about an hour away from MIL's flat and are both suoer busy WFH and home schooling. Putting it all on Facebook would just be too much to-ing and fro-ing. We can't even bring it home to do that as our garage is full of our own shit so there's no space here.

I've contacted the charities mentioned on Facebook so thanks for those.

Do you have a nearby auction house that holds weekly (county) auctions? All of DGMs furniture sold when we had to clear her house and it was quite straightforward to organise.

Sorry for your loss OP.
Locally we have a "Community Action Group" on Facebook that take things like this, they usually help referrals from woman's aid etc or people being housed as a result of homelessness. Community action group is Bothwell and Uddingston so not too far from you, or there might be similar FB groups in your immediate area.

I think many local Councils have a team that helps young families who are struggling to set up home - you could call them and see?

Facebook Marketplace is excellent and fast. Maybe you could put it all up for free with collection one morning on the weekend or something?

Thank you all. I think we've found a homeless charity who can take a lot of it.

I have some another question I need help with:

There are lots of "geriatric" devices (commode, zimmer frame, walking sticks, induction loop). Will the NHS take these back during COVID or is there somewhere else to get rid except skipping them?

Our local recycling centre has an area to return NHS appliances.

Glad you found somewhere - I had a charity come out before Christmas to clear an elderly relatives flat and they wouldn't take 3 items as they were too big for their van. I'm now struggling and think I'm going to end up paying someone to take theses last few to the tip, which is a pain as they are good quality, and like you we live a good distance away.

In other times our local Red Cross refurbishes elderly aids.

The NHS devices should have a sticker on them somewhere with a phone number to call when no longer needed.

There are lots of "geriatric" devices (commode, zimmer frame, walking sticks, induction loop). Will the NHS take these back during COVID or is there somewhere else to get rid except skipping them?

There should be a phone number on a sticker on the equipment to phone to arrange collection. They may be specific about collection times if they have to deliver equipment going out from a clean van then collect the equipment being returned later in the day to prevent cross infection.

DGM lived on a county border and her doctor's surgery was in the other county from her house. This meant there was equipment from both counties to be returned. Let's just say one was more helpful than the other...