All items · Safety equipment
Used life jackets and buoyancy aids
Also covers: lifejacket, buoyancy vest, swim vest
Can you donate used life jackets and buoyancy aids to a UK charity shop? No.
The short answer
They say no
Of the 153 UK charities we track, 50 say no and none says yes. 7 of those are category-wide rules rather than a direct mention.
Evidence last verified
Why shops may refuse it
Life-critical equipment can't be verified second-hand.
What to do instead
Some sailing clubs and the RNLI occasionally take serviceable kit for training — ask locally before recycling.
Charity by charity
50 mentions-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Life jackets Buoyancy aids”
-
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
“Buoyancy aids, life jackets, inflatable boats”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Buoyancy aids, life jackets, inflatable boats or inflatable toys for use on water”
-
Can't accept
Used life jackets and buoyancy aids are refused. The charity says new ones may be sold only when sealed in the original box.
Their wording
“Used buoyancy aids, life jackets, inflatable dinghies & toys”
-
Can't accept
Only accepted if brand new and still in box; used buoyancy aids are refused.
Their wording
“Buoyancy aids (unless brand new in box)”
-
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
“Buoyancy aids, life jackets, inflatable dinghies”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Lifesaving or flotation swimming equipment or inflatables”
-
Can't accept
Also excludes inflatable dinghies
Their wording
“Buoyancy aids, lifejackets and inflatable dinghies”
-
Can't accept
Listed among items ellenor's free furniture collection service will not collect.
Their wording
“Buoyancy aids, lifejackets, inflatable dingies”
-
Can't accept
Their wording covers water-safety toys and aids generally.
Their wording
“Water safety toys and aids”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Safety equipment (i.e. life jackets, buoyancy aids, inflatable dinghies and safety harnesses)”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Bouyancy aids, lifejackets & inflatable dinghies”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Safety equipment (helmets, harnesses, life jackets)”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“buoyancy aids”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Buoyancy aids, life jackets, inflatable dinghies, inflatable toys for water”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Inflatable safety aids”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Buoyancy aids, life jackets, inflatable dinghies, and toys”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Buoyancy aids, lifejackets, inflatable dinghies, any inflatable toy for use on water”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Buoyancy aids, lifejackets, inflatable dinghies”
-
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
Their wording
“Safety equipment (i.e life jackets, safety helmets, seats and harnesses)”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Buoyancy aids, lifejackets, inflatable dinghies”
-
Can't accept
Queenscourt Hospice category-wide rule
Applies to all safety equipment items
Their wording
“Any form of Safety Equipment.”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“buoyancy aids, lifejackets”
-
Can't accept
Also inflatable dinghies and water toys.
Their wording
“Buoyancy aids, life jackets”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Buoyancy aids, life jackets”
-
Can't accept
Shown when searching 'Buoyancy Aids'.
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
“Buoyancy aids, life jackets, inflatable dinghies, inflatable toys for water”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Safety and sports equipment: Including helmets, harnesses, life jackets, and firefighting gear.”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Inflatables/lifejackets”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Buoyancy aids, lifejackets”
-
Can't accept
Also excludes inflatable dinghies and inflatable water toys
Their wording
“Buoyancy aids, life jackets, inflatable dinghies, inflatable toys for water”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Life jackets and inflatables”
-
Can't accept
Life jackets or buoyancy aids listed under items the charity cannot take.
Their wording
“Underwear, safety equipment, safety helmets, safety harnesses, cycle helmets, life jackets or buoyancy aids, weapons, prescription glasses, items made from ivory, personal items, such as shavers (unless unused and in a sealed box)”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Buoyancy aids”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Life jackets, buoyancy aids, and inflatable pool items”
-
Can't accept
Buoyancy aids specifically.
Their wording
“Helmets, buoyancy aids, inflatable dinghies, skateboards, scooters”
-
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
“Buoyancy aids, life jackets, inflatable dinghies, inflatable toys for water”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Buoyancy aids, lifejackets, inflatable dinghies”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Buoyancy aids, life jackets and other inflatables”
-
Can't accept
Also excludes inflatable dinghies and armbands/rings worn as flotation aids.
Their wording
“buoyancy aids, life jackets and inflatable dinghies”
-
Can't accept
Used life jackets and buoyancy aids are refused; the stated exception is for new, boxed items.
Their wording
“Buoyancy aids, lifejackets, inflatable dinghies unless new and boxed.”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Buoyancy aids, life jackets, inflatable dinghies, inflatable toys for water”
-
Can't accept
Also includes inflatable dinghies and inflatable armbands/rings worn as flotation aids
Their wording
“Buoyancy aids, life jackets and inflatable dinghies”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Inflatable goods and life jackets”
Not mentioned in 103 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 Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS)
- Cransley Hospice Trust
- Crisis
- DEBRA
- 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
- Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity
- Garden House Hospice Care
- Greenwich & Bexley Community 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 Valleys
- Jersey Hospice Care
- 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
- Samaritans
- 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 (London)
- St Luke's Cheshire Hospice
- St Luke's Hospice (Harrow & Brent)
- St Luke's Hospice Basildon & Thurrock
- St Margaret's Hospice Care (Somerset)
- St Michael's Hospice (North Hampshire)
- St Peter & St James Hospice
- St Raphael's Hospice
- St Richard's Hospice
- St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP)
- St Vincent's Hospice
- Strathcarron Hospice
- Thames Hospice
- The Kirkwood
- The Myton Hospices
- The Prince of Wales Hospice
- The Shakespeare Hospice
- Traid
- Treetops Hospice Trust
- 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)