All items · Safety equipment
Climbing ropes, harnesses and hardware
Also covers: climbing rope, carabiner, harness
Can you donate climbing ropes, harnesses and hardware to a UK charity shop? Usually not.
The short answer
Almost all say no
Of the 153 UK charities we track, 38 say no and 3 may accept in some cases. 9 of those are category-wide rules rather than a direct mention.
Evidence last verified
Why shops may refuse it
Load-bearing safety gear has a service life and unknown history — it can't be resold responsibly.
What to do instead
Follow the manufacturer's retirement guidance. Ask a specialist rope-reuse scheme about non-load-bearing craft uses, and clearly mark retired safety equipment so it cannot be mistaken for usable climbing gear.
Charity by charity
41 mentions-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Safety harnesses”
-
Can't accept
Acorns Children's Hospice category-wide rule
General safety equipment not accepted, bike/riding helmets given as examples.
Their wording
“Safety equipment such as bike helmets or riding helmets”
- Can't accept
-
Can't accept
Ashgate Hospicecare category-wide rule
Applies to all safety equipment items
Their wording
“Safety or cycle helmets and safety equipment”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Safety harnesses”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Safety Harnesses of any sort”
-
Can't accept
Claire House Children's Hospice category-wide rule
General sports safety equipment not accepted.
Their wording
“Sports safety equipment (helmets, etc.)”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Climbing equipment, ropes and harnesses”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Safety harnesses of any sort”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Safety harnesses of any sort”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Safety equipment (i.e. life jackets, buoyancy aids, inflatable dinghies and safety harnesses)”
-
Can't accept
Harnesses not accepted.
Their wording
“Safety equipment (helmets, harnesses, life jackets)”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Climbing equipment”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Safety harnesses of any sort”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Safety harnesses of any sort”
-
Can't accept
Nightingale House Hospice category-wide rule
Stated as a whole item type they don't accept.
Their wording
“Personal safety equipment”
-
Can't accept
Harnesses specifically named.
Their wording
“Safety equipment (i.e life jackets, safety helmets, seats and harnesses)”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Safety harnesses of any sort”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Climbing Equipment (Safety reasons.)”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“climbing equipment, ropes and harnesses”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“safety harnesses of any sort”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“harnesses”
-
Can't accept
Shown when searching 'Climbing Equipment'.
Their wording
“Thank you for thinking of us. Unfortunately, we’re unable to accept this item for health and safety reasons. We can’t guarantee to our customers that second-hand safety equipment is still fully protective or hasn’t been damaged before.”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Safety harnesses of any sort”
-
Can't accept
'Harnesses' not accepted (listed under safety and sports equipment).
Their wording
“Safety and sports equipment: Including helmets, harnesses, life jackets, and firefighting gear.”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Climbing equipment”
-
Can't accept
Safety harnesses of any sort
Their wording
“Safety harnesses of any sort”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Safety harness of any sort”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Safety harnesses”
-
Can't accept
St Luke's Hospice Plymouth category-wide rule
Blanket catch-all in the 'What can't St Luke's accept?' list, in addition to specifically named helmets and buoyancy aids.
Their wording
“Any safety equipment”
-
Can't accept
St Nicholas Hospice Care category-wide rule
Listed as a blanket refusal in addition to crash/cycle/riding helmets named separately.
Their wording
“safety equipment”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Safety harnesses of any sort”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“climbing equipment”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Safety harnesses of any sort”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Safety harnesses of any sort.”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Safety harnesses”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Safety equipment, such as helmets or harnesses”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Climbing equipment”
-
Check first
climbing equipment only accepted new and sealed in original box
Their wording
“New items can only be sold if sealed in the original box”
- Check first
-
Check first
Woking & Sam Beare Hospices category-wide rule
Applies to used safety equipment only.
Their wording
“Used safety equipment”
Not mentioned in 112 charities' guidance
Absence from a charity's list doesn't mean they accept it — it just isn't singled out. Ask your local shop.
- Ardgowan Hospice
- Ayrshire Hospice
- Barnardo's
- Barnsley Hospice
- Blythe House Hospice
- Bolton Hospice
- British Red Cross
- Butterwick Hospice
- Children's Hospice South West
- Children's Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS)
- Cransley Hospice Trust
- Crisis
- DEBRA
- Demelza Hospice Care for Children
- Derian House Children's Hospice
- Dogs Trust
- Douglas Macmillan Hospice
- Dr Kershaw's Hospice
- East Lancashire Hospice
- Eden Valley Hospice and Jigsaw, Cumbria's Children's Hospice
- Emmaus
- FARA Charity Shops
- Farleigh Hospice
- Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity
- Garden House Hospice Care
- Great Oaks Hospice
- Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice
- Heart of Kent Hospice
- Helen & Douglas House
- Highland Hospice
- Hope House & Ty Gobaith Children's Hospices
- Hospice at Home Carlisle and North Lakeland
- Hospice in the Weald
- Hospice Isle of Man
- Hospice of the Good Shepherd
- Hospice of the Valleys
- Jersey Hospice Care
- Julia's House
- Katharine House Hospice (Stafford)
- Katharine House Hospice, Banbury
- Keech Hospice Care
- KEMP Hospice
- LOROS Hospice
- Marie Curie
- Martin House Children's Hospice
- Mountbatten Isle of Wight
- Moya Cole Hospice
- Naomi House & Jack's Place
- North Devon Hospice
- North London Hospice
- Nottinghamshire Hospice
- Octavia Foundation
- Oxfam
- PDSA
- Pendleside Hospice
- Phyllis Tuckwell
- Pilgrims Hospices
- Primrose Hospice
- Prospect Hospice
- Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People
- Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care
- Rotherham Hospice
- Royal Trinity Hospice (London)
- Saint Francis Hospice
- Save the Children
- Scope
- Sense Scotland
- Severn Hospice
- Shelter
- Shooting Star Children's Hospices
- St Catherine's Hospice (Crawley)
- St Catherine's Hospice (Lancashire)
- St Christopher's Hospice
- St Clare Hospice
- St Columba's Hospice
- St Cuthbert's Hospice
- St David's Hospice Care
- St John's Hospice (Lancaster, Morecambe, Kendal & Garstang)
- St John's Hospice (London)
- St Luke's Cheshire Hospice
- St Luke's Hospice (Harrow & Brent)
- St Luke's Hospice Basildon & Thurrock
- St Luke's Hospice, Sheffield
- St Margaret's Hospice Care (Somerset)
- St Mary's Hospice
- St Michael's Hospice (North Hampshire)
- St Oswald's Hospice
- St Peter & St James Hospice
- St Raphael's Hospice
- St Richard's Hospice
- St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP)
- St Vincent's Hospice
- St Wilfrid's Hospice
- Strathcarron Hospice
- The Kirkwood
- The Myton Hospices
- The Prince of Wales Hospice
- The Shakespeare Hospice
- Traid
- Trinity Hospice (Blackpool)
- Tynedale Hospice at Home
- Wakefield Hospice
- Weldmar Hospicecare
- Wigan and Leigh Hospice
- Willen Hospice
- Willow Burn Hospice
- Willow Wood Hospice
- Willowbrook Hospice
- Wirral Hospice St John's
- Wisdom Hospice
- Woodgreen Pets Charity
- YMCA (England & Wales)