ACORNS Children’s Hospice, which has shops in Redditch, Alcester, Bromsgrove and Droitwich has launched an urgent appeal to support a major change in the way it collects stock.

The charity is stopping its door-to-door collections, following concerns over the number of charity bags being pushed through people’s letterboxes, and over bags being stolen from outside people’s houses.

Instead it has launched the ‘Bring a Bag to Acorns’ appeal, which encourages people to bring donations of stock directly to their local Acorn’s store, and organise group collections at schools and offices.

The doorstep donations previously brought in 2,000 bags of stock a week across the whole of Acorns catchment area, which includes much of the Midlands, so the changes mean even more pressure is being placed on donations to stores.

Janice McPherson, Acorns’ head of retail, said: “We are listening to the concerns of the public, over the number of collecting bags they have posted through their doors. Any bags they now receive will no longer have been sent from Acorns.

“We are eager to receive stock, and ask people to bring donations to any of our stores during opening hours, between 9 and 5 pm, from Monday to Saturday.”

The charity is asking for donations of everything from children's clothes and toys, to ladies and men’s clothes and accessories, household items, books, CDs and DVDs. Even ripped, and stained material is welcome to be sold as what the charity calls ‘rag’.