Student Roost students in Swansea help raise £200,000 for charity

University students from all four corners of the UK have raised over £200,000 for the British Heart Foundation without even leaving their accommodation, by donating preloved belongings they no longer needed.

Students living at Student Roost’s Swansea accommodation, St David’s on Morfa Road collected 12 bags of donations totalling £168.

Residents and team members at Student Roost, which provides accommodation for over 20,000 students across the UK , took part in the British Heart Foundation’s ‘Pack for Good’ campaign by donating clothing, electrical items, books, and kitchenware that they didn’t need any more.

The campaign was launched in 2012, in collaboration with universities across the UK, encourages students who have finished their studies, or who may be moving to different accommodation, to donate any unwanted items to help raise much needed funds for the charity, and avoid tonnes of clothing and other items being sent to landfill.

Student Roost properties in the 2020/21 academic year alone, Student Roost residents and team members donated 22 tonnes of good quality unwanted items, equivalent to the weight of 3.6 African male elephants.

After being sold in British Heart Foundation stores across the country, these donated items have already raised an incredible £38,355 for the charity.

Student Roost properties have been supporting the charity since 2015, with the company becoming a national partner in 2021. The donations in 2020/21 have brought the Student Roost fundraising total to £209,090, with 119 tonnes of waste diverted away from landfill (or the equivalent weight of 20 African male elephants!)

Packing bags and donation boxes were provided to residents at over 50 Student Roost properties as far and wide as Aberdeen, Swansea, London, and Belfast

Around 7.6 million people in the UK live with heart and circulatory disease, and the Coronavirus pandemic has had a significant effect on those who require lifesaving treatment.

With the money raised by Student Roost and universities across the UK for the ‘Pack for Good’ campaign, the British Heart Foundation are able to fund a heart attack research project for one month, laboratory equipment for a two-year project, new developments and scientists in a heart failure research lab, and support the studies of a PhD student.

Jason Andrews, Director of Operations at Student Roost, said: “We’ve partnered with the British Heart Foundation to promote their Pack for Good campaign since 2015, and we were proud to become a national partner in 2021. Each year I’m amazed by the dedication of our team members and residents to help raise funds for this incredible charity and divert unwanted items from ending up in landfill sites that are already at capacity.

“I’m so proud of our teams across the UK who have helped Student Roost raise over £200,000 for the British Heart Foundation to date, and we are determined to increase this amount through our continuing support.”

Tim Reeves, University Account Executive at British Heart Foundation, said: “Each year we are blown away by the amount of donations Student Roost receive from students and universities across the UK.

“Through the reuse and recycling of donated items, this helps prevent 135,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions being released into the atmosphere.

“By donating their items to the British Heart Foundation, students are helping the BHF save 71,000 tonnes of goods going to waste this year alone.

“Every item we sell in our shops, homes stores and online via our eBay and Depop shops will help us to continue to fund our vital research and support the 7.6 million people living with heart and circulatory diseases in the UK.”

Lead image: Student Roosts St Davids accommodation on Morfa Road, Swansea.