1st Burley Guides are collecting used stamps for RNIB Christmas Appeal who recycle them into much-needed funds for thier services

Will you ask your family & friends to save stamps for us?

A collecting box is in the HQ entrance.   Please pop your stamps in the box or in the post box outside the front door if the door is locked. We will collect till the end of January – so lots of time & lots of stamps! 

How stamps make a difference

By collecting stamps you’re helping to break down the barriers that stop people with sight loss living life to the full. The RNIB accept all stamps: new or used, first or second class, foreign, first day covers, presentation packs or albums. Stamps are sold by weight and they raise £20 per kilogramme of stamps, so it’s a brilliant way to raise money.

Generally speaking the more modern the stamp the better. New issues by the post office are less likely to have been obtained by collectors and as such are more desirable. Many collectors want used stamps for the postmarks or cancellations so the odds of finding a newer issue that has gone through the post is considerably less likely than an older issue hence why these carry more value

Old stamps usually carry little to no value for many reasons. The post office have produced most series of stamps in huge volumes (billions) and as such there is an abundance of these stamps and by now all collectors will either have them or be able to obtain them very cheap. As a general rule RNIB suggest that most donations that are pre 2008 carry little value as a donation unless it is a special edition

Do the stamps need to be prepared in a certain manner?

Yes, the RNIB ask that people trim the stamps to leave an approximate margin of around 1cm around the stamps. This will ensure the perforations of the stamp aren’t damaged but will leave sufficient paper for the collector to hold and utilise. If stamps are donated with huge excesses of paper this will result in a reduced price for the stamps. We would like to stress that this is just a guide and doesn’t need to be exact and stamps that have been trimmed less or more will still be accepted

How does the RNIB make use of these funds to aid people with sight loss?

When you lose your sight, you can lose more than your ability to see.

Currently the RNIB can only reach one in three blind and partially sighted people in the UK. With your support, it doesn’t have to be like this. Here are just a few of the ways that your donation could help make every day better for blind and partially sighted people:

• £5 could help a blind or partially sighted person when they contact the RNIB Helpline.
• £10 could cover the cost of 100 blind and partially sighted people tuning into RNIB Connect Radio, run by and for people with sight loss to promote independence and reduce social isolation.
• £15 could provide free Talking Books to someone for a month, so that they can relax with a great read.
• £20 could help someone feel more confident about living with sight loss, with personalised support on a topic like reading, technology or their eye condition from the RNIB expert Advice Service.

https://www.rnib.org.uk/donations-and-fundraising/fundraising-your-community/stamps-appeal