Charities that takes tents and crutches

[ricci]

I have a tent or maybe 2. Also several crutches after my partners 4 knee ops! Does anyone know of a charity that would gladly receive them?

[singalto]

I returned crutches to Dulwich hospital.

[ricci]

Thanks. The hospital where he had all ops done wouldn't take them back. Not sterile!! I'll try Dulwich.

[tllm2]

Following this with interest - we have some crutches that need a good home and are yet to find somewhere that would like them.

[redjam]

The waste in the NHS is extraordinary. We have a big plastic boot and crutches left over from when my daughter broke her leg and the hospital staff just looked at me blankly when I asked where I could return them. Then I had a minor foot op last year and the specialist told me they have to throw away the (metal) surgical instruments used after every single patient as they didn't have a proper sterilising machine. I was astounded. The doc was from Australia, if I remember rightly, and she said she was horrified by this too, as they would always sterilise/reuse back home.

[Penguin68]

I believe that normal sterilisation will not address CJD contamination (Creutzfeldt?Jakob disease). As this was once believed to be due to be very significant throughout the UK population, normal sterilisation methods were deemed useless and hence possibly contaminated instruments were simply disposed of. I would be very happy to stand corrected on this.

[Seabag]

Put them all in the recycling. The risk of contamination is to risky, I don?t blame the hospital for not taking them tbh.

A pair of crutches in the scheme of things isn?t going to break the system.

[intexasatthe moment]

It's not just one pair of crutches though - it's all crutches and loads of other stuff ,heavy duty chiropody clippers are another single use item I have come across .

[fishbiscuits]

Crutches - is FreeCycle still going? Or maybe put them on eBay? Someone will probably find them useful.

On several occasions, I've had injuries which make it hard to walk (cuts on sole of foot, running/ligament injury) and the hospital/doctors wouldn't provide crutches.

[ricci]

It's not just one pair of crutches though it's 3 pairs plus 2 walking sticks. I don't understand how they will cause infection. I can go into hospital to visit and bring in anything I like from my home without risk of infection EXCEPT a pair of crutches which apparently will!

Anyway I have at least found a worthy home for the tent!

[Gubodge]

This factsheet lists a few charities who can make use of crutches and walking sticks: https://www.musculardystrophyuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Selling-or-donating-second-hand-equipment.pdf

Most local secondaries will have pupils doing Duke of Edinburgh expeditions at some point and might welcome donations of small expedition tents. Or if the tent is larger maybe scout groups would be happy take it?

[ricci]

I'll try the charities on that fact sheet thanks.

Somebody contact me by private message so tent has gone to a secondary school for DofE use thanks.