Staff of the O2 mobile phone store at Eagles Meadow shopping centre are installing a bin into which customers can put old broken handsets or decide, when upgrading their phone, to donate their old one to the charity.
O2 will then recycle donated phones with all profits from reclaimed precious metals, glass or the re-sale of fully serviceable phones going to the hospice.
Manager Steven Cavanagh came up with the idea because he wanted to do something to support the hospice.
He said: “I lost my dad to cancer when I was just 15. I lived on the Wirral then and dad was actually treated at Clatterbridge before he came home where he passed away.
“What’s important is that Wrexham people and businesses support a Wrexham hospice and that what’s I’m trying to do. I know many people have really old mobile phones lying in draws and cupboards at home, phones that are basically worthless.
“I’d ask people to think about dropping off those old mobile phones with us so we can recycle them and donate the money to the hospice.”
He added: “Our customers will have a choice when they upgrade. They can donate their old phone by putting it into the recycling bin or have the refund themselves.
“But even if a phone is worthless we will still, as a business, donate a pound to Nightingale House Hospice anyway.
“Every pound raised will be a boost to the hospice’s funds. Anyone that recycles their handset in store for the hospice will be entered in to a prize draw to win a big dog teddy bear too.”
Steven moved to the Eagles Meadow O2 store as manager two months ago having previously worked at the Cheshire Oaks Ellesmere Port outlet.
He said: “I really like it at Eagles Meadow the customers are superb and everyone is so friendly. It’s busy and we are looking forward to a particularly busy Christmas.
“It would be nice if we could donate a really good sum of money, thanks to customers recycling their old mobile phones, to Nightingale House Hospice before the New Year too.”
Margaret Hollings, Nightingale House Hospice Fundraising and Events Manager said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be the chosen charity for this campaign which is being organised by the staff at O2 in Eagles Meadow.
“Every penny really does count, so please do dig deep for those unwanted mobile phones; everybody has one hidden a draw of cupboard at home which could be recycled to raise vital sums of money.
“All you need to do is drop your old phones into the store at Eagles Meadow and all monies raised through recycling will help to fund the invaluable palliative care services at Nightingale House Hospice.”
She added: “This year it will cost £2.6m to run the hospice which equates to more than £7,000 per day. Since the hospice only receives 19 per cent from the Local Health Board, it is only enough funding to support the hospice for 69 days.
“The hospice therefore greatly relies on the generosity of the communities it serves to raise the additional funding of over £2m for the remaining 296 days of the year. Our thanks go to Steven Cavanagh and his team at O2 Eagles Meadow for kindly choosing to support the hospices work.”
Eagles Meadow Manager Kevin Critchley said: “What an excellent idea. It’s a very neat way of supporting the much-needed services provided by Nightingale House.”
