More than 600,000 stamps donated at Daventry collection points

Des Waddington, stamp coordinator for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Janet Head, owner of Orchard Print Supplies.

Collection points in Daventry have now received more than 600,000 since the appeal began almost six years ago.

The Used Stamp Appeal is exactly what it sounds like – people donate used stamps at collection points in Daventry.

Volunteers from the local branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints then sort and prepare the stamps – removing bits of envelope and highlighting any unusual ones.

The stamps in turn are given to Oxfam and Leukaemia CARE who sell them to raise vital funds for their organisations enabling them to do charitable work here in the UK and overseas.

Packs of stamps are sold for collectors, rare ones are sold separately to maximise the money they raise. Even plain first and second class stamps which people may think have no value once posted make the charities money as they contain fibres which can be extracted for profit.

Bishop Jonathan Maxwell, the local leader of the church said: “The people of Daventry have been so supportive of this initiative and I am grateful to them for their help.

“Each individual stamp is of little worth, but the welfare of every soul is important to Jesus Christ. This project has been a great blessing to so many people at home and abroad.”

Anyone who has stamps to donate can take them to the collection points in Daventry; Orchard Print Services in High Street, or the Post Office at the top of Sheaf Street.

Janet Head, owner of Orchard Print Services said: “The community response has been amazing!

“People either bring in a few stamps at a time or they collect stamps from friends and family and bring in bulk donations.

“Orchard Print is delighted to be a collection point for stamps and to support Oxfam and Leukaemia CARE.”

The donations to Leukaemia CARE have made a real difference to the lives of many people.

Kevin Hateley, fundraising manager at Leukaemia CARE said: “A kilo of stamps would help to fund our online GP learning tool to ensure that patients face shorter delays in diagnosis. The earlier that a patient is diagnosed, the better the treatment outcome.”