Find out what to do with your unwanted belongings before you move out.
What Is the Big Give?
Are you going home for summer or graduating?
Donate your unwanted clothes, accessories, books, electrical items, and unopened non-perishable food to charity to help those in need.
The SUBU Big Give 2026 is where the Students Union helps BU students in halls of residence and private rented accommodation have a big end-of-year clear out when moving out, and donate all their unwanted stuff to charity, rather than letting it go in the bin and to landfill.
We also encourage BU staff, and even people in the wider community close to campus, to participate and make donations.
During the SUBU Big Give 2025, students in halls donated over 4,249 bags of unwanted stuff to the British Heart Foundation, which helped them raise over £16,769. Prama Charity Shops were able to collect over 341 bags from houses in Winton and on campus, helping them raise around £4,700. Students also donated unopened food to the SUBU Community Kitchen, our on-campus food bank for students.
When Does the Big Give 2025 Start?
This year you will be able to donate in lots of convenient locations.
You can donate your unwanted stuff to charities from 20th April to 28th August using the Prama Charity Shops purple bins on campus, or weekly street collections from specific streets in Winton and Talbot Village from 6th May to 8th July. If you are in halls of residence, you can start donating using British Heart Foundation red bins from 4th May through to final move out dates on 14th September.
This page explains where you can take things like clothing, shoes and accessories, household items, books and bric-a-brac, duvets and pillows, duvet covers and pillowcases and blankets, small electricals and white goods items, and even bicycles and laptops.
Not all charities and projects will take the same types of donations, especially things like duvets, bedding, electricals and furniture. For 2026 we will be helping you find out where you can take donations on campus, in your halls of residence, and in the Winton area where most students live in private rented housing.
Location links are included throughout this page for each donation point.
How to Donate in Halls of Residence
If you live in the following halls you can donate your unwanted stuff.
Bailey Point, Belaton, Chesil, Cranborne, Corfe, Dorchester, Home Park, Lyme Regis, Lansdowne Point, Lulworth/Union, Mercury, Oxford Point, Purbeck, Skyline, The Artisan, 17a Christchurch Road
You will be able to find a donation bin in your halls' main reception area or communal lounge space.
Look out for a large red box with British Heart Foundation (registered charity number 225971) written on the side. Some halls even have metal donation bins on the outside of the building. If in doubt, just ask at your hall's main reception where you should place your unwanted stuff.
Please place your donations in bags or boxes rather than loose items, as this makes it much easier for them to be collected.
British Heart Foundation says yes to:
- Clothing
- Fashion accessories
- Bags and shoes
- Books
- Small household and kitchen items
British Heart Foundation says no to:
- Duvets
- Pillows
- Bedding
- Sharp objects and knives
- Electrical items
For large furniture and electrical items, see the large items section.
How to Donate in Private Accommodation
For 2026, your Students Union is working in partnership for the third year with local charity Prama (registered charity number 801967).
All proceeds go towards Prama's work in supporting older adults and carers across Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and Dorset, including people living with memory loss and other long-term conditions.
SUBU has identified a street collection zone where a high population of students live. If you live in private rented accommodation in one of the following roads in Winton or Talbot Village, you can donate your unwanted stuff to Prama by clearing it out and putting it by your garden gate on Wednesdays from 6th May through to 8th July.
Please ensure that all donation bags are visible from the road and not hidden behind bins etc.
You will receive a donation bag and sticker through your door, or you can collect a bag and sticker from SUBU Main Reception on Floor 1 of the Student Centre of Talbot Campus, or SUBU Offices on Floor 3 of the Bournemouth Gateway Building on Lansdowne Campus.
If you live in private accommodation on one of these roads in Winton, you can put your donations out for street collection.
Alma, Bingham, Cranmer, Crimea, Cardigan, Edgehill, Firs Glen, Fitz Harris, Frederica, Hawthorn, Heathwood, Junction, Kemp, Latimer, Leslie, Melville, Maple, Osborne, Privet, Parker, Ridley, Stanfield, Sedgley, Trafalgar, Talbot Hill, Talbot, Waterloo, Withermoor, Woodend, Wycliffe
If you live in private accommodation on one of these roads in Talbot Village, you can put your donations out for street collection.
Baverstock Road, Bishop Close, Caton Close, Charlotte Close, Cull Close, Drew Close, Fern Barrow, Georgina Close, Issacs Close, Laidlaw Close, Marianne Road, McWilliam Close, Mickleham Close, Mullins Close, Smithson Close, Talbot Meadows, Valley View, Vine Farm Close, Vine Farm Road
Prama Charity Shops will be doing street collections around these roads every Wednesday, on 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th May, and 3rd, 10th, 17th and 24th June, and 1st and 8th July.
Please make sure your bags are left by your garden gate, or anywhere visible from the road, by 12pm on each collection day. If your bags remain uncollected by 5pm, please text Prama by WhatsApp on 07460 298053 or email furniture@prama.uk.
If you wish to donate large items of furniture, Prama offer fast and free collection of saleable furniture. For more information, please contact the team on 07460 298053 or email furniture@prama.uk.
What If I'm Not in the Street Collection Zone?
There are temporary metal British Heart Foundation donation bins at Leslie Road Carpark, and Cranmer Road Carpark in Winton.
Use the location links below to find these donation points.
Where Can I Donate on Campus?
You can donate on campus at the following donation points in the purple Prama Charity Shop donation bins. Use the location links below to find each bin. The Prama purple donation bins will be on campus from Monday 20th April to Friday 28th August.
Lansdowne
Bournemouth Gateway Building - Ground Floor Atrium
hurray.settle.back
Talbot
Poole Gateway Building - Ground Floor Atrium
desire.tunnel.dawn
The Student Centre - Ground Floor
type.caller.lifted
Poole House - Ground Floor near reception
spoken.agents.dollar
The Student Village - Laundry Room
closer.leans.wake
The Fusion Building - Atrium near Inspire LT
grades.ripe.caked
Use any of the temporary purple Prama Charity Shop donation bins on campus, where you can donate your unwanted items.
Prama says yes to:
- Clothing
- Accessories
- Footwear
- Books
- Small household and kitchen items
Prama says no to:
- Duvets
- Pillows
- Bedding
- Sharp objects and knives
- Large electrical items
Can I Donate at Other Charity Shops?
If you live elsewhere, you can donate at the following charity shops:
Winton
British Heart Foundation (Home Store), Minds Matter, Barnardo's, Lewis-Manning Hospice, Prama Charity Shop, Sue Ryder, Salvation Army, Margaret Green Animal Rescue
Boscombe
Prama Charity Shop, Salvation Army, Naomi House and Jacksplace, Boscombe's Charity Shop, The Mayor of Bournemouth's Charity Shop
Poole
British Heart Foundation, Naomi's House and Jacks Place, Dogs Trust, Oxfam, Poole PDSA, British Red Cross, Julia's House, Salvation Army, Blue Cross, Dorset Reclaim
Can I Donate at Other Donation Banks?
For details of recycling banks in the wider Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area, use the BCP Council website.
What Can I Do With My Unwanted Unopened Food?
Food Bank on Campus
You can donate your unwanted non-perishable food items such as rice, pasta and tinned food at the following donation points on campus:
Bournemouth Gateway Building (Lansdowne) Ground Floor Atrium
hurray.settle.back
The Student Centre (Talbot) - Ground Floor
drums.rubble.pulled
The Student Village (Talbot) - Laundry Room
closer.leans.wake
Food donated on campus will be used for the SUBU Community Kitchen, our on-campus foodbank on Floor 2 of the Student Centre, especially for students in financial crisis.
Food Banks off Campus
You can donate your unwanted non-perishable food items such as rice, pasta and tinned food at the Bournemouth Foodbank (registered charity number 1143446) donation points off campus:
Citygate Community Hub - 138a Holdenhurst Road (opposite Bournemouth Central Train Station) BH8 8AS
eaten.tiny.apron
Lifehouse Hub, Life Centre - 711 - 715 Wimborne Road, Moordown (Winton) BH9 2AU
first.pocket.single
St Georges Hub, 118 Haviland Road, Boscombe, BH7 6HW
maple.deny.ducks
Find a Bournemouth foodbank
For noting: please do not use local supermarkets to drop off food as these are exclusively for purchased items in store.
Where Can I Donate My Unwanted IT Equipment?
Off Campus
You can donate unwanted tablets, PCs, laptops and smartphones, Apple devices, e-readers, games consoles, digital cameras, smart watches, cables and accessories to DONATE IT, to be refurbished and donated to families in need in the local community.
There are donation points at:
Bournemouth Library
green.author.goals
Poole Library
vibrate.occurs.react
victor.helpers.saturate
DONATE IT do not accept printers, monitors, keyboards or mice.
What Can I Do With My Large Furniture and Electrical Items?
If you have furniture, large donations and electrical items in good condition, you can contact Prama Charity Superstore and arrange a collection. Call Prama on 01202 207315 or email furniture@prama.uk.
Prama Superstore, Unit 6, Knighton Heath Industrial Estate, Ringwood Road, Bournemouth, BH11 8NE.
victor.helpers.saturate
You can also arrange for large donations and electrical items in good condition to be collected by the British Heart Foundation Furniture and Electrical Store. Ring 01202 983020.
British Heart Foundation Furniture and Electrical Store, 470 - 472 Wimborne Road, Winton, BH9 2EY.
gasp.fixed.occupy
What Can I Do With My Unwanted Bicycle?
You can donate your old bicycle to Hope 2 Cycle (registered charity 1129439).
Open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10am till 5pm.
The number to ring is 07530 968506.
878 Wimborne Road, Moordown, Bournemouth, BH9 2DR
burn.comic.pink
What Can I Do With My Unwanted Duvet?
Dunelm shops will take duvets and pillows in good clean condition as part of their Take Back Textiles project.
There is a Dunelm shop at Turbary Retail Park, 869 Ringwood Road, Bournemouth, BH11 8LL.
surcharge.prawn.ally
What Can I Do With Blankets and Sheets?
You can donate them and help a primate.
In the Student Centre on Talbot Campus there will be a special blanket box for bedding donations, which will be taken to Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre in Dorset.
Monkey World says yes to duvet covers, pillow cases, fleece blankets, sheets, towels and socks.
Monkey World says no to crochet blankets, duvets, sleeping bags, pillows, cuddly toys, and mattress protectors. The stuffing in these items can be harmful to primates.
If you have a vehicle you can take blankets to Monkey World at Longthorns, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 6HH.
Monkey World offer discounts on tickets to students. Student ID will need to be provided. You do not need to buy a ticket if you are just dropping blankets off.
monkeyworld.org
Jim Cronin Memorial Fund, UK Registered Charity Number 1126939
afflict.incisions.mulled
What Do I Do With Things I Need Next Year, But Can't Take Home?
It's not always possible to take all your belongings back home, but you might not be ready to say goodbye to your stuff quite yet. Bournemouth has a range of temporary storage solutions that make it easier to keep your kit secure over the summer and ready for you when you get back.
Examples include A-Storage who are offering 2 free medium boxes per unit for students, to give you a head start with packing. Find A-Storage at 203-205 Charminster Road, BH8 9QQ.
Phone number 01202 148403. Email charminster@boxsafestorage.co.uk.
gift.monkey.powers
www.a-storage.co.uk
SUBU Sustainability Strategy
SUBU recognises that its activities have an impact upon the environment at local, regional, national and global levels and acknowledges a responsibility for the protection of the environment and the health of its members and the community. Sustainability is one of the key enablers of the SUBU strategy and will be delivered through leadership to enhance its position as a sustainable organisation and manage the environmental impact of its actions.
At SUBU, sustainability is defined as a focus on what we can do now for our present students to protect the future for incoming students; ensuring that our actions and events have a positive impact on the environment and the future of our campus, the local community and the global environment. Any decision made is not just influenced by the effects on the environment but also SUBU's members, staff, resources and key stakeholders.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are embedded into every department within SUBU, enabling us to listen to students' passions around sustainability; giving us an ability to empower them on their educational journey with clear consideration for the future of the environment and our society.
Use the link below to view our full sustainability strategy and commitments that are embedded in every department across the Union.
SUBU Sustainability Strategy
What Do Our Charity Partners Do?
Registered charity number 255971
"Heart attacks that strike without warning, strokes that shatter futures, newborn babies born with broken hearts. These are just some of the cruelties of cardiovascular disease. And the brutal reality is, there is so much more for science to discover before we can beat the world's biggest killers.
That's why the British Heart Foundation exists. Funding research is how we change the game. And we all have a role to play. The tools we have at our disposal today - from heart transplants and pacemakers to stents and portable defibrillators - are all down to research. Research made possible by people like you."
Registered charity number 801967
Prama has 12 charity shops across Dorset and is well known for low prices, great bargains and amazing staff and volunteers. Prama has set pricing across all of their charity shops as well as a discount shop located in Winton, where nothing is priced over £3. All proceeds go towards Prama's work in supporting older adults and carers across Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and Dorset, including people living with memory loss and other long-term health conditions. Prama's mission is to support our community by delivering trusted services that reflect our values of respect, compassion and faith. We aim to promote a positive image of older age, challenging stereotypes and highlighting how much older people contribute to their communities.
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