CHARITY shops in the Borders are asking the public to drop off their unwanted Christmas gifts to help boost stocks.

Branches of the Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS) are encouraging Borderers to help towards sustainability and not throwing away unwanted gifts, by donating them to the shops.

Any unwanted presents – whether it's books, clothing or coffee mugs – can be dropped off at any of the four shops in the Borders, which include Galashiels, Melrose, Kelso and Hawick.

Carole Edmonds, head of Retail Field Operations at CHSS, said: “Our shops are a source of amazing high quality donated items for local communities, as well as being a fantastic source of revenue for our charity.

“We’re looking for donations of Christmas gift that would otherwise be gathering dust in a cupboard. It could be a copy of a book you already have, a jumper that’s not quite the right size or style, or a coffee mug when your cupboards are already full.

Border Telegraph: The CHSS shop in GalashielsThe CHSS shop in Galashiels (Image: CHSS)

“The current cost of living crisis, alongside growing awareness of the importance of responsible shopping and giving has seen the number of people shopping in our stores rise considerably over the last few months.

“We’re sure this trend will continue throughout the year, which is why we’re urging people not to let unwanted Christmas gifts to go unused, but instead take centre stage in one of our stores, reducing waste as well as raising money to support those living with chest, heart and stroke conditions in Scotland.”

For more information on the work that CHSS does – including its Hospital to Home service which helps people with chest, heart and stroke conditions with support when they return from the hospital – visit the CHSS website.