How Emma’s community donations drive is turning unwanted clothes into world-changing research

For Emma Salisbury, from the Tommy Salisbury Choroideremia Fund, every fundraising event she runs - from coffee mornings to golf days - starts with one goal: helping Fight for Sight fund the research that families like hers are depending on.

"The more money we raise, the more research can be done, the more studies can be done. It's always one step closer to the final goal.”

So, when Emma decided to organise a community donations drive for Fight for Sight, she thought it would be just another way to raise a bit of extra money for vision loss research. In fact, the event – which she put on in a local school’s car park – turned out to be a day filled with generosity, conversations and connections with friends, local parents and neighbours. Even complete strangers arrived with donations on the day, giving Emma the chance to share why fundraising means so much to her family.

"It was easier than I thought,” Emma beams “and it was actually really sociable, I caught up with old friends I'd not seen for ages, mums from primary school turned up. It was really nice."

Turning a clear-out into pioneering research

So how does a donations drive work? It’s simple, Emma invited friends, family and members of her local community in South East London to have a clear-out and donate good quality clothes and household items that could be sold to raise money for Fight for Sight. She then arranged for a collection from our Fight for Sight van, which is based in our Donations Hub in West Norwood to come to the car park belonging to a local school to collect the donations and transport them to Fight for Sight charity shops across London.

Instead of items sitting unused in wardrobes or lofts, they are now funding life-changing sight loss research.

Once Emma started spreading the word, donations began arriving. "My house was absolutely full," Emma laughs. "I said to everybody, if you don't want it and you want it out of your house, bring it over."

How much did Emma’s donations drive raise?

The results of Emma’s donation drive amazed her, to the extent that she’d advertising it even more widely next time.

Fight for Sight's retail team estimate that if everything sells (and given the quality it should do), the donations could raise more than £3,000 for Team Tommy.

It’s a number Emma is pretty delighted with given the amount of effort involved; "It's easy," she says. "So many people already have things they don't use anymore!"

And one unexpected highlight helped to give that number a boost, somebody anonymously donated a pair of Dolce & Gabbana trainers that are now for sale on Fight for Sight’s eBay shop! "I've got a feeling I know who donated them," Emma laughs, "but I'm still not 100% sure."

It's a lovely reminder that sometimes supporters don't want recognition; they simply want to help.

Raising awareness as well as funds…

While the money we will raise from the donations is fantastic, for Emma, that’s only part of the story. Because the day was also an opportunity to meet new people and explain why she and her family have dedicated more than two decades to fundraising for Fight for Sight.

"There were some strangers who turned up that I didn't know," she says. "It was nice to be able to tell my story and say, 'This is why we're doing it.'"

That story begins with Tommy, Emma's oldest son, who lives with choroideremia, a rare inherited retinal condition that causes progressive sight loss. Over the past twenty years, Emma and her family have worked tirelessly to support research through Fight for Sight, raising almost £1 million along the way.

And once they reach their £1 million milestone? "We'll just carry on," Emma says. "Because the ultimate goal is to find a treatment."

Doubtless, it’s that determination that inspires friends, neighbours and complete strangers to keep getting involved. Over the years, Team Tommy’s fundraising events have become fixtures in the community calendar, with friends bringing friends along, school parents becoming volunteers and neighbours become steadfast Fight for Sight supporters.

"Every time life moves on," Emma says, "another group of people joins the journey."

Emma's top tips for running your own donations drive:

If you're looking for an easy fundraising idea, which will work just as well in a workplace as a community like Emma’s, she has plenty of advice after hosting her first community-based charity collection.

Make everything as easy as possible

People are much more likely to donate if they can simply leave bags outside your house or arrange a convenient drop-off.

Explain exactly how it works

Emma discovered some people thought they were coming to buy clothes. Next time, she'll make it even clearer that the items are being collected to be sold through Fight for Sight's charity shops across London and on Fight for Sight’s eBay.

Spread the word locally

Social media is a great start, but Emma would also recommend thinking locally. Schools, community noticeboards, local shops and neighbourhood Facebook groups can all help reach people who'd love to support a good cause as well as benefit from a clear-out.

Don't underestimate your community

Emma was touched by how many people wanted to help once they knew what she was doing, and she thinks that groundswell will only increase. "I think more people will tell more people now we've done it once."

Remember every bag makes a difference

You never know what somebody might donate. Whether it's everyday clothes or a mystery pair of designer trainers, every item has the potential to help fund research that could change lives.

Why fundraising like this matters

Emma often says fundraising isn't really about reaching a number, it's about making sure no family faces inherited sight loss without knowing that scientists are working towards better treatments.

"The more money we raise," she says, "the more research can be done."

Whether you're organising a donations drive like this one, taking on a sporting challenge or bringing your community together for a charity coffee morning, every fundraiser helps Fight for Sight support the pioneering researchers working towards new treatments for sight loss.

Fancy fundraising for vision loss research?

Get inspired by these fundraising ideas here or get your own fundraising pack! 

Please note: If you’d like to run a donations drive like Emma’s please do get in touch with us first by emailing warehouse@fightforsight.org.uk. While our collections van can cover most areas of London, we may struggle to support donations drives that are further afield.