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Original poster

Anyone know anything about the Bag2school scheme. is it ethical?

43 replies

SmileysPeople · 09/12/2006 22:48

having this debate on PTA at the momemt. I think if we are going to give clothes away it should be to charity not a for profit organisation. Our children are hardly needy, not at our school anyway. Others on our PTA disagree. We have a meeting on monday and I want views and info for this.
Anyone help? Any other schools have this debate?

BTW Bag2School one of those organisations where each child brings a bag to school full of old clothes, school gives them to the org they give school some money abd sell tham in Eastern Europe.

OP posts:
iota · 09/12/2006 22:55

Why do you feel that you should give old clothes to charity - loads of people give them to friends or sell them on ebay.

Original poster
SmileysPeople · 09/12/2006 23:17

I think giving them to friends or selling them yourself is different.
These companies are selling the clothes we give in third world countries for their own profit. If you gave them to charity they'd make money and use it for good. these companies make money for their own profit.
therefore if you're going to give them away might as well be used for good?

OP posts:
iota · 09/12/2006 23:18

our PTA is a charity and benefits from the sale of the clothes

Original poster
SmileysPeople · 09/12/2006 23:23

yep that's what some on our PTA said. But our children are VERY priviledged, and these schemes are taking away money from charities supporting v needy people. hardly the same thing.

St.Leafy Suburb primary hardly compares with Oxfam/ Medicin san frontier does it?

charities are reckonong they're loosing at least 1 million a year to these schemes. hardly worth it for more digital cameras in school is it?

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Original poster
SmileysPeople · 10/12/2006 08:34

Anyone else have any knowledge/views? Anyone else's school do this?

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ComeOyefaithfulVeneer · 10/12/2006 08:36

Never heard of it but agree the clothes could be put to better use.

hulababy · 10/12/2006 08:41

Don't know the scheme so can't comment ont hat.

However, just because the children/families aren't needy, it doesn't automatically mean the school doens't need to raise funds somehow. They may not want to keep asking parents direct. Often schools that are doing well are the ones who miss out on extra funding - as this is ploughed into failing schools or ones on less priviledged areas.

BudaBauble · 10/12/2006 08:42

Never heard of it either - and am IN Eastern Europe. Maybe it explains the few shops I have seen selling second hand clothes from England though. There are a few shops here in Budapest (usually in areas of large apartment buildings - the tower-block type you imagine when you think of Eastern Europe) that are obv second had shops and often have a sign saying England or a UK flag and I suppose it could give those people access to cheap clothes that are of reasonable quality. Clothes here are quite expensive by UK standards - don't know how the locals afford it.

Our school just gives clothes to Salvation Army here.

WethreebobKings · 10/12/2006 08:46

There are 2 things people can do with clothes currently at your school:

  1. Give away to charity shop or other children
  2. Sell on Ebay and put money towards new clothing (or donate money to school/charity)

All your PTA is doing is adding another choice

  1. Give to school, who sell to company, who on sell the clothes on schools behalf.

Some people will be glad of a simple way to get rid of old stuff - and it will be a win win situation.

Others will object - but they can do 10 or 20 above. Or a mixture of all three. The children won't be forced to bring in clothing presumably.

Original poster
SmileysPeople · 10/12/2006 08:50

Hulababy, I have no problems arising funds by making cakes, running stalls, running discos, attending social functions etc, and do all this. But I do have a problem when our money making scheme takes money directly away from other charities.

We are raising money for whiteboards, playground equipment etc. Fine happy to do that, but it hardly compares with basic needs such as food/shelter/medicine/water/sanitation that other charities are supplying.

BudaBauble from my understanding on what I've read the second hand clothes in Eastern Europe and Africa are sold by charities and these companies, but one makes fpr profit and the other for the charity. I know which I'd rather support.

OP posts:
WethreebobKings · 10/12/2006 08:52

Then don't support the scheme personally, but other people may have a more "charity begins at home" mindset.

Original poster
SmileysPeople · 10/12/2006 08:55

No 3kings tyou're right no-one is forced, but not sure it's entirly clear to all parents what these companies do.

Charity commision and Office of fair Trading have estimated that charities loose at least 1 million a year due to these schemes.

I don't think a PTA, or at least our PTA should support that. I think we should raise money in other ways.

BTW our PTA makes STACKS of money, and I am v involved and happy to do so. Just think we should have an ethical stance on this.
Our children are PRIVILIGED not NEEDY.

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Original poster
SmileysPeople · 10/12/2006 08:56

3kings, it's a church school, big on charity giving, so I think this should be more of a 'corportae' decision IYSWIM?

Can't say one thing and then do another.

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babster · 10/12/2006 09:00

Our school has just collected to Bag2School - I think the school receives 25p for each kilo collected (and earned over £250 last year from the scheme). I am not keen on the scheme as it's not a proper charity, so I assuaged my conscience by putting all the tatty stuff in the bag that wasn't good enough to offer to friends or charity shop. It is a well-timed scheme as everyone wants to have a clear-out before Christmas.

Original poster
SmileysPeople · 10/12/2006 09:04

that was suggested as a compromise at our PTA Babster, to put the rubbishy rags in. But since reading uo have discovered that the charities and these companise sell these on to textile industry for factory wipes and raw material. Charities saying they want the rags as make money with this.

I just maintain I'd rather give to help charities raise money than give for a company to make profit.

These companies are in direct competition with the charites. they di the same thing but for profit.

OP posts:
iota · 10/12/2006 09:05

story in the Telegraph Charities lose out as econd-hand goods go to internet acutions

here

Original poster
SmileysPeople · 10/12/2006 09:10

Selling on ebay is personal choice, we are talking about a policy decision for a PTA of a church school.

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iota · 10/12/2006 09:12

intersting guardian article High street charity exports help to destroy textile jobs

"Clothes which find their way to Zambia are also collected from charity bins outside supermarkets or on UK high streets. Charities such as Scope receive hundreds of pounds for lending their name to the clothes banks.

A Scope spokeswoman said: 'Donated clothes are the lifeblood of our organisation. We have 300 shops in the UK and clothing sales help disabled people to gain equality. We do get paid by companies [for putting Scope's name to clothes banks] and have been made aware that the exported clothes are causing problems, but ultimately we need second-hand clothes. It's essential for Scope.' "

iota · 10/12/2006 09:15

"In Britain, only 20 per cent of the clothes given to good causes are sold in charity shops. The rest are rejected. Much is collected by companies which grade clothes, then ship them abroad."

iota · 10/12/2006 09:16

food for thought - seems like the whole second hand clothing issue is a moral dilemma

iota · 10/12/2006 09:21

from reading those articles. doing bags 2 school puts the school PTA (usually a charity themselves) in the same role as the charites - both sell the goods to private cos, apart from the 20% sold in the charity shops.

So it would seem to me to be a question of which charity you want to support

Original poster
SmileysPeople · 10/12/2006 09:21

Yes Iota, the charities do the same as these companies. they sell the donated clothes to a middelman who sells them abroad but who gives large slice of profit to charity so they make money. hence sxcope woman's comment.

Difference is the other companies all money goes to business for profit (after donation to school)and cuts charity out of market.

Scope woman siad they rely on this money.

Choice between more digital cameras for laefy priamsry or Scope. Personally not a hard choice.

I have no problems raising money for the school, and do so enthusiasically, but just think as a corpoatre decision we shouldn't support this.

OFT recommends not supporting these companies. As does charity Association

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Original poster
SmileysPeople · 10/12/2006 09:23

Yep Iota think you've nailed it (to quote the X factor judges) that is what it comes down to, and I don't think our school as a charity can really compare to likes of Scope/oxfam/help the Aged etc.

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hulababy · 10/12/2006 09:26

How about finding a more ethical charity, that can do a similar service (ie come to the school and collect) to suggest as an alternative - without the school profiting, but all to the charity.

Original poster
SmileysPeople · 10/12/2006 09:29

there are charities that do that Hulsbaby, and as our PTA is hardly deaparate for money, we're LOADED, I think we should find other ways of raising funds.

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