Moving house is the perfect opportunity to declutter, and North London has a strong network of charities and reuse organisations ready to give your unwanted items a second life. Whether you have furniture that won’t fit in your new place, clothes you no longer wear, or household items you simply don’t need anymore, donating locally keeps usable goods out of landfill and supports causes across Barnet, Haringey, and Enfield.
Furniture Donation and Collection Services
Large furniture items are often the most challenging to dispose of when moving, but several North London charities offer free collection services for pieces in good condition.
Barnet Furniture Centre
This pioneering furniture reuse charity operates from Queens Parade Close in Friern Barnet (N11 3FY) and focuses specifically on helping low-income families access affordable furniture. They offer free collection within Barnet and surrounding North London areas for items they can resell. To arrange a donation, email photos of your items to info@barnetfurniturecentre.org along with your contact number and postcode. Hard furniture must be structurally sound, soft furnishings need fire regulation labels and should be free from rips and stains, and electrical items must be in working order. Their team of volunteers refurbishes donated pieces, keeping items in the local community rather than sending them further afield.
British Heart Foundation
The BHF operates several furniture and electrical stores across North London, including locations in North Finchley, Enfield, and Tottenham. They provide a free home collection service for furniture and working electrical items, which you can book through their website. After submitting your request, your local store will contact you within five working days to arrange a collection date. Items must be in saleable condition with all parts intact, and upholstered furniture requires a firmly attached fire safety label with no rips or tears that expose the inner fabric. The BHF can also accept bags and boxes of smaller items alongside furniture donations.
North London Hospice
Supporting families dealing with life-limiting illnesses across Barnet, Enfield, and Haringey, North London Hospice runs 19 charity shops throughout the area. They have dedicated furniture shops at 987 High Road in North Finchley (N12 8QR) and Unit 2, 120 High Street in Chipping Barnet (EN5 5XQ). They particularly welcome wardrobes, chests of drawers, dining tables, chairs, and sideboards in good, saleable condition. Donating to the hospice directly supports local patients and their families.
Bright Sparks
Based at 176 Seven Sisters Road in Finsbury Park (N7 7PX), Bright Sparks is a community enterprise that collects unwanted household furniture and goods from residents in Camden, Haringey, Islington, and Waltham Forest. They repair and restore donated items, selling them at affordable prices to people on low incomes. The organisation also provides training and volunteering opportunities for people seeking to get back into work. Items they accept include furniture, white goods, small electricals, and bric-a-brac.
ReStore Community Projects
This Tottenham-based charity recycles and reuses domestic furniture and appliances for people in need. They operate a collection service for reusable bulky furniture and household items across Haringey and can be contacted on 020 8493 0900. Their showroom at Unit 18, Ashley Road, Tottenham Hale (N17 9LJ) is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm, where they sell quality second-hand items at affordable prices to those who are unemployed, claiming benefits, pensioners, or students.
Other Furniture Collection Services
Sue Ryder offers free furniture collection across London through their National Furniture Line on 0333 0031883. They accept sofas, tables, and small electrical items in saleable condition.
The Salvation Army operates larger stores in Edmonton and Holloway that accept wardrobes, sofas, and tables. Collections can be booked online, with proceeds supporting vulnerable people and families.
All Aboard Shops has multiple locations across North London including Edgware, Hendon, Golders Green, and Highgate. They support various UK charities and can arrange free collection for larger furniture items in good condition.
Cancer Research UK has furniture and electrical shops in Kentish Town and Highgate, accepting large items such as sofas, dining sets, and wardrobes for collection.
Clothing and Textiles
North London has numerous options for donating clothes, from charity shop drop-offs to convenient textile banks.
Charity Shops
Most high streets in North London have multiple charity shops accepting clothing donations. North London Hospice alone operates 19 shops across Barnet, Enfield, Haringey, and Islington, including a store in The Mall, Wood Green (N22 6YD). Other major charity retailers with North London presence include Oxfam, British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, and the Salvation Army.
TRAID
This sustainable fashion charity operates over 700 clothing banks across London and offers a free home collection service for London residents. TRAID accepts quality clothing in clean, wearable condition, including dresses, jackets, accessories, and shoes. You can book a collection through their website or find your nearest clothing bank using their online locator. They also have 12 shops across London where you can drop donations in person, and you can post donations via any Collect+ outlet in the UK.
Textile Banks
Haringey Council provides clothing banks at various locations including Muswell Hill (alongside Highgate Woods), High Road near Somerset Road, and South Tottenham station. These accept all clothing and textiles in any condition, plus good-quality shoes (tie laces together to keep pairs matched).
Clothes in poor condition that aren’t suitable for resale can be taken to recycling centres where they’ll be processed by textile recyclers. North London’s main sites accepting textiles include Summers Lane (Barnet), Edmonton EcoPark (Enfield), and Western Road (Haringey).
Electrical Items
Working electrical items can be donated to several charities, though most cannot accept large appliances like fridges, washing machines, or cookers.
The British Heart Foundation’s furniture and electrical stores in North Finchley and Enfield accept working small electricals including lamps, microwaves, and televisions. All electrical donations must be in working order and will be PAT tested before sale.
Klasp Online, a charity shop in Enfield, accepts PAT-testable small electrical items such as TVs, hi-fis, cameras, lamps, and kitchen mixers in working, saleable condition.
For items that no longer work, recycling centres across North London have dedicated electrical waste collection points. Small electrical items can also be deposited in the Bring Banks located at various sites throughout Haringey, designed specifically for small electrical recycling.
Books, Toys, and Household Items
Most charity shops welcome books, toys, kitchenware, and general household items in good condition. Oxfam shops are particularly known for accepting books, while charity shops generally appreciate clean, undamaged items that are ready to sell.
Barnet Furniture Centre accepts bric-a-brac alongside furniture, though items must not be broken or chipped. Similarly, North London Hospice shops take crockery, ornaments, and small household goods.
Online Platforms for Giving Away Items
If you’d rather give items directly to people who need them, several online platforms facilitate free exchanges.
Freecycle operates active groups for both Haringey and Enfield. Members post items they want to give away, and other members can request them. Everything must be free, and you can sign up through the Freecycle website.
LoveJunk allows you to list reusable items for free collection or find items others are giving away.
Ferris is a zero-waste app that connects people with items to give away with those who need them.
Give or Take events, organised by community groups across North London, allow people to bring items they no longer need and take whatever they can use, including books, clothes, toys, kitchen items, small furniture, and garden tools.
What Charities Cannot Accept
Before arranging donations, be aware of common restrictions. Most charities cannot accept upholstered furniture without fire safety labels, items that are damaged, stained, or broken, large electrical appliances like fridges or washing machines, mattresses (though some specialist organisations do take them), items that don’t meet current safety standards, or anything that would need significant repair before being usable.
Charity drivers have discretion to refuse items at collection if they don’t meet standards, so it’s worth sending photos in advance when offered. This saves everyone time and ensures your donations actually reach people who can use them.
Planning Your Donations
Start sorting items for donation at least two to three weeks before your move to give yourself time to arrange collections. Furniture collection services typically need several days’ notice, and popular slots fill quickly during busy periods like end of month.
Grouping items by destination makes the process more efficient. Furniture might go to one charity while clothes go to another, but trying to coordinate everything with a single collection isn’t always possible.
For anything that can’t be donated, North London councils offer bulky waste collection services, or you can arrange removal as part of your move. If you’re working with a man and van service, ask whether they can take small amounts of items for disposal, which can simplify the process of clearing out before you leave.
