Posted on: 13th August 2026

RECYCLING AND RE-USING 

Many churches, missionary societies and Christian Charites collect used postage stamps as an income generator and fund raiser

Leeds City Mission (LCM) is no exception.  In the last two years volunteers have collected and sorted an incredible total of 20,000 used postage stamps.

Used postage stamps are passed on to stamp dealers who buy them and use them in their philatelic businesses.  Thus vital funds are sourced by cash-strapped churches and charities who put them to good use in their gospel activities.

Supporters, visitors, Leeds congregations and others have faithfully collected and delivered supplies of postage stamps to the LCM Mission premises in Mistress Lane, Armley.  Volunteers have sorted and counted the stamps.

LCM Interim Coordinator Andy Dalton thanked the many people from across the City who had made the effort to save their postage stamps.  He said that foreign stamps were the most valuable.  LCM volunteers had been amazed that some of these stamps had originated from some of the most far away countries in the world.  LCM had even received stamps originating from the world’s most remotest inhabited island – Tristan da Cunha which is located midway between the Falkland Islands and South Africa.

He went on to say that the City Mission can make good use of many things that people would otherwise just throw away.  It already recycles and puts to good use aluminum cans and foil, packing materials (bubblewrap and foam pellets), greetings cards (to produce greetings tags), towels (for use by street people using their shower for the homeless) and sleeping bags/blankets (for rough sleepers). 

All items can be dropped off at the City Mission Compassion Centre Mondays – Fridays 10.00 am – 3.00 pm.  Telephone 0133 345 3118 for more details.