A small UK-based charity has appealed for tradesmen across the country to add to its collection of old or unwanted tools which it then refurbishes and sends to communities in Africa.
The Tools for Self Reliance charity collects and mends or refurbishes tools from electricians, plumbers and other tradesmen from all over the UK.
A small staff and hundreds of volunteers help to collect and send the tools, and they are asking for more tradesmen or individuals to come forward and offer up their old tools to add to the collection.
Currently, the charity is working to gather carpenters, builders, metalworkers, shoe repairers, plumbers and electrician’s tools along with Singer round bobbin hand sewing machines, and electric machines that are in good working order.
They will then be packed up and sent to Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Zambia with the aim of building sustainable livelihoods across numerous communities.
Other items that the charity is in particular need of include 240v Arc Welders and accessories, heavy duty foot pumps, sharp half round flies, metric tape measures, wire strippers, metric taps and dies sets, tailors shears and wood carving chisels, gouges and mallets, the Cotswold Journal reported.
There are nearly 70 groups of the charity located around the country, and 100 tool collection points which accept old tools. The headquarters of the charity is based at Netley Marsh on the edge of the New Forest.