by Lorraine Gibson.

Do you have a stash of useless items malingering in a drawer or cupboard?
Most of us have that one place for things we no longer use but don’t want to throw away, just in case they ‘come in useful’.
Truth is, they rarely do. So why not gird your loins, have a clear out and free up space for the stuff you actually need?
First, be brutal. Bin the bits that serve no purpose. Broken, outmoded or defunct items, like ‘old keys’ without a door, let alone a lock to fit in, are as useful as a chocolate fireguard.

Do not, however, throw away old specs – more of which later.
Next, assess the remaining unwanted things. Might they benefit a charity shop? Find organisations that recycle old phones, PCs and chargers, etc, and donate them.
Regarding the aforementioned old specs, while as prevalent as old keys, they’re extremely recyclable and badly needed.
Check out your local Lions’ specs recycling scheme.
They can reuse your old glasses and ship them to third-world countries, where eye care is often unavailable and lens manufacture non-existent.
Children’s glasses are especially needed but they’ll take prescription and reading glasses, sunglasses and plastic or metal frames.
The process involves collection, sorting, checking for scratches and cracks, washing and grading and, finally, distribution.
In the case of the Ferndown and Wimborne Lions clubs, unwanted glasses go to Chichester Lions for processing, then on to Medico France for grading before being sent to eye camps in poorer communities of places like Africa, India and Eastern Europe.
At said eye camps, often run by organisations like Sightsavers, local people get tested and given appropriate ‘new’ glasses.
Global vision
Local Lions Clubs are part of a global Lions network that recycles worldwide.
Glasses collected in New Zealand go to those with poor eyesight in the Pacific Islands.
Through the UK’s 100 or so clubs, about 300,000 pairs a year are sent abroad.
You can deposit yours in bins at local opticians or doctors surgeries.
In Wimborne and Ferndown alone, there are 20 bin locations and there’s a full list of sites at lionsclubs.co/Public. Also visit
wimborneandferndownlions.org.uk.