Slimmers in Telford fill 618 bin bags of oversized clothes after losing weight to raise £18k for charity

Slimming World is normally about losing pounds but Telford’s groups are celebrating after raising more than 18,000 of them for charity.

Members from across Telford have been donating old clothes which are now too big thanks to their success at losing weight.

The effort is part of an annual fundraising drive from Slimming World across the country called the ‘Big Clothes Throw’ - raising money for Cancer Research UK.

Telford’s groups have managed to fill 618 bin bags with clothes - raising an estimated £18,540 for the charity.

Saturday - May 3, saw the organisers totalling up the donations.

Groups involved in gathering the donations included Lightmoor and Lawley, Newport, Donnington, Muxton, Wellington, Admaston, Hadley, Dawley, Oakengates and Shifnal.

Flik Warner, who runs the Lawley and Lightmoor Slimming World groups, said they were thrilled at having raised so much for the vital charity.

She said: “We are so chuffed. Every year we do it and every year it gets bigger and better.”

She added: “We have had to have two vans today just to come and pick it all up.”

The initiative is a double positive, with members able to physically mark their efforts by getting rid of clothes which are now too big for them, as well as turning that into a fundraising effort for charity.

Flik said it reflected the remarkable efforts from members to lose weight, detailing some who have lost up to 17 stone.

She said: “Us as consultants together that were there today, we have lost 50 stone between us, and that was just the nine of us there.

“With the amount of bags you can imagine how much weight our members have lost.”

She added: “It is amazing and we can’t thank the members enough. We really cannot, it is a massive thing and it is lovely to do that - not just throw them away, but to donate to a wonderful charity.”

Flik said they are already planning for next year, with ambitions to “bigger and better” again.