A Second Life: Touring the Oxfam Batley Hub

Views editor Ruby tells her experience of a guided tour of the Oxfam’s huge Batley Hub, and lets us in on some of the bargains on offer.

Ruby Wait-Weguelin

The joy of finding a charity shop gem is like no other. And that thrill doesn’t end in the charity shop. You feel it every time you pick it out of your wardrobe, or every time you receive a compliment. “Oh, I love that cardigan, where’s it from?”. Giving you the opportunity to boast about its secondhand status. “And only £2.50!”.

Myself and many others have recently made the switch from fast fashion to buying clothes more sustainably. From charity shops, to kilo sales, or sites like Depop and Vinted, the availability of buying second hand is becoming more accessible. And the thrill of finding a second-hand piece is more than just finding a bargain. Or even finding something unique and interesting. You can also enjoy your clothing choices guilt free, as you are not supporting the fast fashion industry and its severe environmental impacts.

Whilst endlessly scrolling through Depop and Vinted, we may have disregarded one of the most long running and sustainable alternatives to fast fashion: the humble charity shop. And as one of the most well-known charity shops, Oxfam is a great place to start. With the aim of ending poverty and injustice, Oxfam has been selling donated items for almost 80 years. Last week, myself and the Leeds Student Radio team were lucky enough to be shown behind the scenes of these donations at the Oxfam Batley Hub.

The size of two football pitches, the Batley Hub is one of Oxfam’s largest sorting centres, and is also home to the Oxfam Online Shop, and the Oxfam Festival Shop. Through meeting the team of dedicated volunteers and staff and receiving a tour of the centre, we followed the donated clothing throughout their journey. First, each individual piece of clothing is examined and either sorted into its category or removed due to damage or low quality. Due to the domination of fast fashion companies and the proliferation of microtrends, an increasing number of donated items are unfortunately of a very low quality. Easily damaged due to being made from cheap materials, many of these items arrive at the Batley Hub in bad condition and have to be recycled. However, none of these clothes go to landfill. Many are recycled into car soundproofing or mattress stuffing and the rest is used to produce renewable energy, powering 400 homes a year!

Now for the most exciting part – selecting the most interesting items for the Online and Festival Shop. Volunteers passionate about fashion, vintage clothing, and sustainability go through the donations to find the extra special pieces to be sold online or at Oxfam festival pop-up shops. Oxfam have managed to retain the thrill of finding an amazing second-hand piece through their website (and have also kept them at a bargain price). Items begin at the affordable price of £7.99 and can be purchased through the Online Shop, eBay, and Facebook Market Place. Taking inspiration from current trends and festival fashion, the volunteers also put together collections for festivals such as Glastonbury, Leeds, and Download. After 3 months of volunteering, they also have the opportunity to attend the festivals for free and work at the popup shops.

If you are passionate about sustainability, second hand fashion and charity work, consider volunteering at the Oxfam Batley Hub. Oxfam is looking for volunteers to work on the Online Shop, the Festival Shop, and many other roles. You will be given the opportunity to learn new skills, meet new people and after 3 months of volunteering, you can apply to attend an Oxfam festival popup shop. This exciting opportunity also means you can attend the festival for free!