The Cornwater Club charity shop on Queen Street, Mansfield, has launched a Rags to Riches campaign to raise £1,000 to support its older people’s activity programme.

It has appealed to the public and businesses to take their worn out or torn clothing, underwear, shoes, bedding, tablecloths, towels, etc to the shop.

The ‘rags’ will then be sold to a local recycling merchant to raise funds.

A spokesman for the club said more than 85% of textiles was going to landfill sites, which was environmentally harmful. Of that, more than 90% could be re-cycled and given a new lease of life.

For example, textiles can be reprocessed and used to fill vehicle seats or converted to cloth wipes, and some clothing and shoes can be sent to Africa and Asia.

Shop manager Sharon Baum, (pictured) said: “The shop currently recycles on average 12 tonnes of rags each year. We are asking for support from the community to recycle another three tonnes to help both the environment and raise £1,000 for the four days-a-week older people’s activity programme run by our club.”

The Cornwater Club, a local charity supported by the shop, aims to offer friendship and stimulation to reduce the loneliness that many older people experience. The £1,000 would be used to introduce new activities, including dancing, language courses, photography and many more.