to be not very happy about 'Happy School Bag'/other bag collection schemes?

[NobodyThatYouUsedToKnow]

My DCs are at a private school. The PTA work hard to raise money to gild the gates, retile the swimming pool and other such worthy causes.

So you get the 'bake lovely home-made cakes for us and we'll sell them for 20p each', summer ball + auction, and all that sort of stuff.

I think it's bollocks tbh, we pay five figures in fees per child and I don't know why they need to scrape together the odd £100 extra from these jobs. But I guess it keeps the PTA mums busy.

Anyway, latest thing is we've been given 'Happy Bags', and told them to fill them with unwanted possessions to raise money from the school.

We are told

"Items collected are:

• clean clothing
• paired shoes and trainers
• handbags, belts, hats, accessories
• jewellery, toiletries, perfumes
• console games, souvenirs
• bedlinen, towels, soft toys

Please note, items not accepted: bric-a-brac, mats, pillows, blankets, curtains."

What we aren't told is how the school will benefit.

I looked at their website (www.happyschoolbag.co.uk), and it says

"We ensure that we pay the highest market prices. At the moment we pay up to £0.60 per kilo. "

Frankly this makes me cringe. Parents mostly drive X5s, XC90s, etc. and live in big detached homes. I'm sure they have some lovely stuff. And the thought of all that outgrown Boden, designer handbags, etc., being weighed up at 60p/kilo, and then sold on by the company behind it, seems almost criminal.

(You get similar collection bags through the letterbox, and I don't like them either, but at least then there is no competitive pressure to come into school carrying in bulging sacks full of lovely goods to be sold off for pennies.)
AIBU to thing this scheme is a rip-off and the school shouldn't be involved with it?

I think its terrible too. I am PTA and have steered away from this. I think it ruins the stuff too. IF I had a nice top from insert name of preferred nice shop and chucked it in a bag next to shoes etc (and hence onto big lorry full of similar) it wouldn't benefit anyone after that, and the charity might get 10p.

The NSPCC ones we get though the door also guarantee '£50 per tonne' (I think) and I think that's bad too.

I take the clothes to the charity shop and I know someone will likely buy them from that very same shop. Its like food miles I think - whiy put it in a nation wide loop when there's a direct line.

I don't throw rubbish rags in the bag, that's not nice... I put all the reusable stuff we'd never wear again... can't believe some happily use it as a rubbish service...come on that's low! It's about fundraising for our children's school, reusing clothes instead of throwing away in the bin and preserving the environment. They obviously make a little profit (not with rubbish!!) but then they must have their own expenses to cover as every business does in order to provide the service in the first place... all that matters is that my school gains extra funding, that it's green and that educates kids about being eco-friendly.

Just to clarify a point. Nearly all charities also use these companies. Bag 2 School work with schools and charities.

They just get too much stuff. These days they sort through and sell on any vintage items to vintage resellers - they get more for them that way. Then they sort items into seasons, styles etc. These go into storage and a 'buyer' will try to gauge what is coming back into fashion, what trends there are, and what season it is to get stuff out to shops.

All the charities have massive warehouses full of donated items. Selling to these companies means they clear up space, don't need to pay for storage and get money for their good causes.