Dorset Reclaim logo

FAQs

Collection Questions
Delivery Questions
Shop Questions
Bulky Questions
Volunteer Questions
Agency Referral Questions
General Questions

Collection Questions

What can you take?

We take everything it takes to make a house a home – furniture, electricals, soft furnishings, kitchenware, pictures & mirrors, items for the garden and clothing. For a full list of what we can and cannot take click here

Usually we expect items such as bunk beds to be dismantled on arrival, as the van crews are very busy and have a lot of jobs every day, but speak to our reception teams when you book if this will cause you a problem.
We will usually collect from inside your home and from upstairs as long as access allows. There are a few exceptions with very large or heavy items so ask about this when you book.
We can disconnect your washing machine or electric cooker as long as the connections are standard and in good condition. We do not disconnect any gas appliances.
If you can donate your item and sign a gift aid form, it costs you only a signature and allows us to claim money from the tax office, making your donation even more valuable to us. As long as you are a UK taxpayer on your salary or pension, it raises a further 20% for the charity.

Delivery Questions

Will you deliver to inside my home? Do you take items upstairs?

We can usually deliver items inside your home to the room or floor you require. There are a few exceptions to this, but this will be made clear to you beforehand.
We don’t usually assemble furniture, such as bunk beds, when we deliver. If there are special circumstances, please talk to our reception team when you buy your item and we will do our best to help you.
Yes, we can. You must make this clear when you are arranging your delivery and not leave it to when the delivery crew arrive – they may not have space on the van.

Shop Questions

What are your opening hours?

We open Monday – Thursday 9am – 4.30pm, Friday 9am – 4pm.
You can pay by card or by cash at our stores.
Our stock changes everyday, with many items coming in, so we haven’t the ability to put everything on-line. If you are looking for a particular item, please call the store to see if they have any in stock.
Yes, we offer a 3 month guarantee with all second hand large electrical items if we deliver and install for you, and on all small electricals. If you buy a new item, the terms of the manufacturers guarantee will apply.
We have stores in Bournemouth, Dorchester and Poole.
View our store locations

Yes we can, although it may take a little longer to deliver to you.

We list vintage china and glassware, quirky items, older furniture as well as items that may not find a new home easily from our warehouses. We use our on-line sales to help support the charity and the work we do locally.

Bulky Questions

Do you collect from inside my home or from an upstairs room ?

Yes, we are usually happy to collect your items from inside your home. We collect from upstairs areas except when access prevents us getting an unusually large or heavy item out of your home, but we will always do our best.
Yes, we can collect from outbuildings & garages.
Not usually. There may be an exception if you think you will not be there on the day, but this would be confirmed when arrangements are made.
When we arrive, you can pay us by cash or card and even by cheque if you can still find your chequebook!
We do our best to ensure as much as possible goes on to be reused or recycled, so we separate out wood and metals & all electrical items are taken for specialist treatment to be dismantled.
We can disconnect washing machines and electric cookers if the connections are standard and in good order. We do not disconnect any gas appliances.

Yes.

Volunteer Questions

Do I have to volunteer for a set number of hours each week?

We are happy for you to volunteer for the hours it suits you, so anything from a few hours a week to a few days and this can be varied to suit – the choice is yours.

Anyone can volunteer with us if they are over 18 or over 16 with permission from your parent or guardian. We also have under 16’s on work experience from their school. We have no maximum age – our oldest volunteer at the moment is 94!

Please contact the manager at the branch you would like to volunteer at or complete the volunteer enquiry form here and we will get back in touch as soon as we can.

Yes, we will reimburse your costs in travelling to us.
We have all sorts of roles available to suit and you can see these first hand if you come to one of our warehouses. We can offer administration & customer service, warehouse organisation and work with the van teams, sorting donations and other day to day tasks as well as one off jobs and remote roles, such as helping with marketing.

Agency Referral Questions

Where do I send the referral form?

Please submit this to the branch that delivers to the area where your client lives
Of course. Please speak to the manager at the relevant depot
Yes. Please call the relevant depot and a member of the team will be able to help you.
We deliver to different areas every day of the week, so the longest wait time should be no more than a week away; very often we can deliver more quickly.

General Questions

Are you part of the council?

No, we are an independent local charity set up in 1998 by local people with a passion for reuse and helping the local community
We do not receive any grants, so all the funds raised go to paying our rent and utility bills, keeping our vehicles on the road and paying our staff.
We would love to be able to give items away, but we have to pay our rent and expenses or we would not be here in the future to deliver our local services
If your query is related to a particular depot, perhaps in relation to a collection or delivery, please contact the relevant depot or manager in the first instance. If you have a query about the charity as a whole, please contact our head office by emailing sacha@dorsetreclaim.org.uk or calling 01202 773384.