More than 21,000 bags filled with unwanted items were donated to East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) charity shops including ones in Cambridgeshire,.

The Bag It, Bring It, Boost It campaign saw an increase of 15 per cent compared to last year’s donation drive.

In three weeks a total of 21,674 bags were filled with unwanted items and then given to one of the charity’s 35 shops across Cambridgeshire, north Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Ian Nicolson, head of retail and trading at EACH, said: “The response to Bag It, Bring It, Boost It has been fantastic again.

“We estimate one bag is worth an average of £10, so the campaign has helped raise thousands of pounds for the care of children and young people with life-threatening conditions across the region, and support for their families.

“Bag It, Bring It, Boost It also increased footfall, too, obviously, and our like-for-like sales during the period were up six point seven per cent.

“Thank you to everyone who got involved and a special thanks to all our volunteers who have worked hard to sort through the bags and get items ready for sale.”

It takes more than 6,000 bags of donations a week for EACH to run its outlets, so the charity needs a constant supply of items and, at the moment, is on the lookout for homewares, menswear and toys.

Here’s how the donations help:

• A top, skirt or pair of trousers worth £5 could pay for art supplies for a session of art therapy

• A tea set worth £11 could fund an hour of specialist play tailored to a child’s individual needs

• A nice wedding hat or jacket worth £19 could pay for an hour of vital physiotherapy

• An item of good-quality furniture or prom dress worth £24 could fund an hour with a psychologist to help guide and support families going through, likely, the toughest period of their lives