Tuesday 3 October 2017

Can you help Workaid?

Hello. It was flu jab day today. The doctors surgery is normally closed on a Tuesday afternoon, but today it was buzzing. They book everyone in at one minute intervals, my time was 2.39pm, and they were dead on time. It was like a conveyor belt, I'm sure several others were booked in at the same time because we were all in and out in a few seconds. Straight after I decided to go for my walk, as I already had my trainers on. 
Here is a pic of my lunch today. Underneath the mashed up avocado and the egg is a brown oven bottom muffin, we used to call them baps. It's spread with spicy houmous, and served with lettuce and yellow tomatoes. Very nice it was too. 
I've done quite a lot of sewing today, I want to get the sea bed needle felt picture finished. Just when I think it's nearly ready, I add a bit more stitching.

Remember the sewing machine I've recently aquired, the one I haven't got a lead for. Well I have decided I am not going to spend time looking for one, and money buying one. I don't need the machine, it doesn't do any more than the one I already have. So I gooooglied 'who collects sewing machines', and found a charity called Workaid who refurbish all second hand tools, including sewing and knitting machines, and garden and carpentry tools, and sends them to Africa in containers.

I rang them, their head office and warehouse is in Chesham, and they gave me the phone number for a local collection point in Lincoln. I have three machines to give away, also a hand and a treadle, I might as well donate them as well. Will free up some space, I never use them anyway. I'm waiting for a call back in the next day or two to arrange collection. I have said I can deliver to Lincoln as it's not that far away. Here is their web site.  And a video on yoootooob, showing what they do. Looks like a worthy cause to me.



You can find out from the web site where the nearest collection point is to you, and if you want to de clutter any useful tools and equipment that you no longer need, they would be pleased to take them. I discovered that it is hard to sell second hand sewing machines in this country, but there are other countries that will gladly accept them.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

11 comments:

  1. Your doctors is certainly well organised.

    Workaid is a very good charity, I gave them my machine. I had had it for 50 years but it was very heavy and when my auntie died and left me a little money I brought a new one, nothing fancy but lighter. My son is sorting my shed this weekend and any old tools he does not want will go to Workaid.
    Hazel c uk

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  2. That was very kind of you Ilona and,thoughtful offering your machines.I do like the look of your meal,it's just what I enjoy eating-but at the moment the avocados are nearly £1 each when I last went shopping -I refused to buy any this time.I'm going to a market soon and hopefully will get more for my money x

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    1. £1 each is out of my price range as well. If they aren't reduced I don't buy them.

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  3. In this part of the US, I can sell a machine anytime I post one. I wonder why they are so much easier to sell in the US. Donating to this organization is a great thing to do.

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    1. Sewing does not seem to be v popular in this country - perceived as an old-fashioned thing to do... probably no longer taught in schools either.

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    2. I rang the lady in our local sewing machine shop about a lead, and mentioned that I would be prepared to part with it and asked her if she could sell it. She said no one wants second hand machines.

      I looked on Ebay and there are a lot of machines on there, all prices, one exactly the same as I have. It was up for £20. With them being so heavy they have to be collected, so that narrows the market down.I don't sell or buy on the internet, I don't need to make money, I have enough, so it's not worth the hassle. I'd rather give stuff away to a good home.

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  4. TWAM is another organization which sends tools, sewing machines, all kinds of sewing-related items(threads, laces, needles, bobbins etc) to Africa.

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  5. Thankyou for telling us about Workaid. I had never heard of it I'm afraid. When you think of all the useful things that end up in landfill it's very sad. I will save the website as sometime in the next year or two I will be downsizing and will have a few things that could go to them. I was already worrying about what I would do with the garden tools etc (many were my late husbands) - now I know it is a relief.

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  6. Yes, I've heard of them. Natalie

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  7. Google is amazing
    I googled 'who collects second hand mattresses' and came up with a list of 4 charitable organisations in my area

    I chose Emmaus, they help homeless people get back into work

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