THE average household in Clackmannanshire has up to £1000 worth of clothes that have not been worn for at least a year, according to Shelter Scotland.

Most often it’s because they no longer fit, and the leading charity hopes the items can be used to help vulnerable people across the country.

It would like people to rummage through wardrobes, drawers, cupboards and attics and donate any unwanted clothing to one of their shops to help them in the fight against bad housing and homelessness.

Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland, said: “The total cost of unworn clothes is a staggering £2.4 billion in Scotland. Even a very small fraction of that could help Shelter Scotland to continue our fight against bad housing and homelessness.

“It costs just £10 for one of our expert advisors to help a family or individual at risk of losing their home – we can raise that money by selling an unwanted jumper or pair shoes.

"Forty-five pounds is enough to train an advisor to protect children at risk, and that money could be raised from selling an unwanted winter coat that’s taking up space in someone’s wardrobe.

“We hope that the people of Clackmannanshire will continue to support us, because without their help and generosity our fight to end bad housing and homelessness would be so much harder.”

There are an estimated 22,978 households in the Wee County, last year there were 359 households assessed as homeless, while 1593 households are currently on waiting lists for a home of their own.

Shelter Scotland says it accepts all donations, regardless of the age or condition of items, and according to the charity just £10 can help a family or individual facing homelessness or bad housing though its free national helpline.

Research by Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) shows that the annual footprints of a household’s new and existing clothing are equivalent to the weight of over 100 pairs of jeans, or the water needed to fill over 1000 bathtubs.

It has said that extending the average life of clothes by just three months, such as donating them to charity, would lead to a five-10 per cent reduction in each of the carbon, water and waste footprints.

It is estimated that £140 million worth (350,000 tonnes) of used clothing goes to landfill in the UK every year – clothes which Shelter Scotland says could be donated to charity.

Graeme added: “We’ve all got clothes we no longer wear or need. If every person in Scotland donated just one item to a Shelter Scotland shop it would make a world of difference. Shelter Scotland believes that everybody deserves a home.

"Our work won’t stop until there’s a home for everyone.” Shelter Scotland has 38 shops across Scotland and for further information visit Shelter Scotland.