Since attending Volunteer Expo back in May, Wrap Up UK has been processing new enquiries to join their campaign to provide coats for those who will struggle to keep warm during the winter.
Rotary has been engaged with this project since back in 2018 with just one cluster called Wrap Up Lancashire. As of December 2022, they have expanded to 19 locations, from Lanarkshire and West of Scotland to Brighton & Hove, involving over 100 Rotary clubs.
Wrap Up was originally started by the volunteering organisation HandsOn London over 10 years ago, collecting coats in tube stations across London. Ann-Marie Etherington, now in Accrington Rotary, saw the campaign and brought the idea to Lancashire where it has grown year after year.
The project takes place during October/November, with Rotary clubs or groups of clubs (clusters) running their local campaigns.
Information and guidelines are provided when a cluster signs up so that the branding, website, and ethos of the movement are maintained in line with the agreement between the organisations.
Wrap Up UK’s main focus is helping those in need of support including refugees, families fleeing from domestic violence, the homeless, those in shelters and families who, for the first time, are having to ask for help due to the current economic situation.”
It’s a fantastic way for Rotary to interact with their local community, and possibly recruit new members, while at the same time forming links with their local community.
To date, almost 10,000 coats have been collected and distributed to at least 50 charities across the country, with two-thirds of the Wrap Up totals still to be counted from this year’s campaign.
Rotarians in their local communities work together on sorting the coats.
Food banks have been provided with garments to give to those who would struggle to buy warm coats for their families.
Wrap Up is a relatively inexpensive project to take on as it is mainly service-based, meaning clubs can go straight to hands-on volunteering.
The project is all about helping our local communities and forging links to tackle further projects with the charities Rotary become involved with.
Wrap Up was started by volunteering organisation HandsOn London over 10 years ago, collecting coats in tube stations across London.”
Wrap Up UK is helping the environmental issue by saving unwanted coats from landfill, one of Rotary’s areas of focus.
Wrap Up UK’s main focus is helping those in need of support including refugees, families fleeing from domestic violence, the homeless, those in shelters and families who, for the first time, are having to ask for help due to the current economic situation.
The team at Wrap Up UK would like to thank all of those who are donating their time and effort to make the Wrap Up campaigns such a success and Rotary hopes to be part of their efforts to help those most vulnerable for years to come.
If you would like to donate to Wrap Up UK or help with collections, visit the Wrap Up website.
