Darlington charity helps residents to sort through loved ones belongings

A charity in Darlington is offering to help ease the burden of the friends and family, by clearing out houses after their loved one has died or gone into care full time.

The house clearing service will operate across Teesside, Darlington, South Durham and North Yorkshire. It will also work to provide funds for St Teresa’s Hospice, as well as stock for its chain of charity shops.

St Teresa’s Hospice relies on donations to stay afloat, requiring £3.5m every year to provide free in-patient and community care for people reaching the end of their life and their families in Darlington, South Durham and North Yorkshire.

As a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic, intense strains of flu and other winter illnesses, we have seen more and more people faced with clearing out their loved ones homes and belongings after their passing.

Handled with care

Of course, this needs to handled sensitively, as highlighted by St Teresa’s head of retail, Marjorie McIntyre:

“The service is bespoke to the family’s needs, brings them relief and saves them a lot of heartache, while helping a charity at a particularly challenging time.”

The full process

Over the years, the team at St Teresa’s have become skilled at clearing out houses, understanding how to prioritise the moving process, as described by house clearance manger, Paul Wheatley:

“The first step is to locate any important documents including bank details, passports and insurance papers, then valuables such as jewellery and higher value mementos families might like to keep.

“We once located some wedding and engagement rings which a lady had sewn into the hem of a set of curtains to keep them safe from burglars. We were able to give them to the family after she had gone into a home. We also find English and foreign money hidden in drawers, handbags and in the pages of books, which we return, as well as photographs and other keepsakes.”

The team then sorts through the items they recover from the house, determining what can be salvaged and sold in a shop and what needs to be thrown away or recycled.

Housing clearance ranges from large private homes and council properties to sheds, garages and even gardens. The team visits the site and assesses the amount of work and price up the job.

This service can be accessed directly from the hospice by calling 01325 488701 or emailing sales@ darlingtonhospice.org.uk. Many Darlington solicitors and estate agents are also aware of the scheme and are happy to help you organise St Teresa’s help.

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