Bag It. Beat It. for BHF at Drake Circus

Drake Circus Shopping Centre has joined forces with British Heart Foundation (BHF) shops to launch their Bag It. Beat It. campaign, which urges the Plymouth community to donate bags full of unwanted items. 

Every bag donated will help fund life-saving heart research, helping over 40,000 little heroes continue to fight congenital heart disease.

Before the BHF was founded, only one in five babies born with congenital heart disease saw their first birthday, let alone their first day of school. Thanks to pioneering research, now around 4,000 children are able to experience their first day of school every year.

The Bag It. Beat It. event at Drake Circus will be officially launched by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Michael Fox, when he donates the first bag of items at 11am on Thursday 2 October.

Between 2nd and 4th October, BHF volunteers will be in Drake Circus giving out stock donation bags and asking shoppers to fill a bag with unwanted clothes, shoes, books, handbags, DVDs, CDs, bric-a-brac and children’s toys then take it to the drop point in the centre or the BHF shop.

After the event at the shopping centre has ended, filled bags can continue to be donated to Bag It. Beat It. at the local BHF shop.

Greg Lumley, Centre Director at Drake Circus, commented: “The Bag It. Beat It. event is a great idea and provides the perfect opportunity to sort out the cupboards and give away items that you no longer want or need. We jumped at the chance to support this event and help raise life-saving funds. Please ask friends, family and colleagues to get involved too. Head to Drake Circus where you can collect a Bag It. Beat It. bag, fill it and return it to the centre, or your local BHF shop.”

BHF Area Manager, Sarah Boardman, said: “We’re urging everyone to have a clear out and to donate bags of unwanted items to Bag it. Beat it. Your unwanted items will raise vital life-saving funds, helping little heroes continue to fight congenital heart disease.

“The BHF currently funds over £14 million into congenital heart disease research and this year we need to raise even more. I would like to thank everyone that donates a bag of items, and continues to help us fund pioneering research.”

For more information, to find your local BHF shop, visit http://bagit.bhf.org.uk/