This Friday, April 13, is National Clear Your Clutter Day, and staff at Danaher Animal Home’s shops across the region are appealing for donations.

They are putting out a plea for people to turn out their cupboards to help raise funds for the Wethersfield-based charity.

Julia Askam, Danaher’s area retail manager, said: “We’ve been really encouraged by the number of items being brought in - everything from china tea services to lampshades, clothing, books and boots. There are plenty of bargains to be had, and we hope National Clear Your Clutter Day will encourage more people to pop into our shops, find something that they want and donate toward the upkeep of the the many dogs, cats and other animals that we look after.”

The charity has six retail shops in Essex and Suffolk, including the newly-opened Haverhill store and stores in Sudbury, Dunmow, Braintree, Chelmsford and Witham.

Its annual running costs are around £800,000, as it takes in and rehomes around 250 dogs and 200 cats a year, as well as smaller animals. It is currently raising funds to build new kennels for larger dogs and an extended cattery.