Time to give it all away

Hoarders, it’s time to let go. Spring-clean season has come and gone and yet the spare room still isn’t habitable, the wardrobe is still bulging with clothes you haven’t worn in years – some still with their price tags on – the kitchen cupboards have dusty appliances you are not going to use again, and that pile of books that you set aside to read later remains unread.

Would knowing that your decluttering efforts will help fight poverty stir you into making a start?

“Clutter is anything physical, mental or emotional that doesn’t serve us or make us feel good,” Breda Stack, a life coach and decluttering therapist, explains.

“Giving to charity is a feel-good exercise that is also a great way to extend the life of unwanted possessions.”

By donating clothing, furniture, home accessories or even your wedding dress to Oxfam, you can do some good in the world.

Think of it this way – the sale of one of your dresses for €8 could help purify around 2,000 litres of water, making it safe to drink for South Sudanese families living in makeshift camps.

A bedside locker sold through Oxfam Home for, say €38, could provide one kilo of okra seeds, to grow a vegetable from the marrow family that is high in vitamin C.

There is more information on oxfamireland.org/shop, so get to work on clearing out things you don’t want