I'M hoping that I can encourage your readers to donate some of their beloved but now unwanted quality items of clothing to Age International's stock appeal which runs until April 13.

The money raised will be matched by the Government – which even by my rudimentary maths, quite clearly means it will doubled.

All they have to do, is hand the items in to a local Age UK charity shop.

The money raised will then be used to transform lives in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe through health projects, including the treatment of cataracts in older people, which can lead to blindness.

These operations cost around £20 – or a couple of bags of scrumptious threads donated by your readers.

To find out where your local Age UK shop is, please go to www.ageinternational.org.uk/donatestock or call 0800 032 69 99.

Penny Smith