Oxhey Swapsey
Oxhey Swapsey grew from an idea at the OVEG Climate Café in the spring of 2024, as a way of recycling household items and saving them from landfill.
From 9am-12pm on the first Saturday of each month, you can re-home your usable but unwanted items that are too good for the tip. You’ll also find useful items to add joy to your home, for free.
Each month there is a different theme:
- July 6th – camping, gardening, sports equipment
- August 3rd – school uniform, school stationery, electricals
- September 7th – music, books, DVD’s, CD’s
- October 5th – fancy dress, craft supplies
- November 2nd – toys, kids’ stuff
- December 7th – Christmas items, items suitable for gifts
- January 4th – Unwanted gift items, general ‘new year clear out’
Please follow OVEG Oxhey Swapsey guidelines
- Items in good condition only
- Place them only outside your home
- Stick to the monthly theme
- Do not leave items on the street after 12pm
- Check out our recycling suggestions below to re-home any remaining items
RECYCLING SUGGESTIONS FOR LEFT OVER ITEMS
All items
For items in good condition, local charity shops are often able to accept items for resale, or offer them on apps and webpages such as Olio, Freecycle, Freegle, Gumtree or Preloved.
Many items can be recycled if they are unsuitable for reuse.
Please take to the recycling centre if it cannot be accepted in your kerbside recycling, or check this list for other options: What can I recycle? | Hertfordshire County Council
Tents
Share yours with others: https://www.tentshare.co.uk/
Donate an old frame tent here: https://www.vintents.co.uk/sell-your-vintage-canvas-frame-tent/
Donate any tent here: https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/recycle-my-gear.html
‘Upcycle’ tents which cannot be reused: How To Re-Use and Recycle Old Tents (lovecamping.co.uk)
Sleeping bags
Donate to Help 4 the Homeless: call 07396 755747 or email support@help4thehomeless.charity
Outdoor equipment
Donate to help low-income peoples experience the great outdoors https://kitsquad.co.uk/
Gardening
Tools and plant pots – Allotment shop for refurbishment or resale
Plants – Allotment shop or ‘Watford Plant Swap’ group on Facebook
Sports Equipment
Sports clothing – contact hello@prelovedsports.org.uk or see https://prelovedsports.org.uk/
Bicycles – Donate to Watford Cycle Hub https://watfordcyclehub.org.uk/
Holiday items
Clothing – donate to charity or pass on to friends and family.
Beach toys – see if a nursery school or play group could make use of them
Back to school
Uniforms – See if your child’s school has a second-hand uniform sale or try https://uniformerly.co.uk/
Stationery – New HopeTrust in Queens Roador see if the Watford and Three Rivers Trust can offer it to a local charity for use. Call 01923 216950 or email enquiries@w3rt.org.
Electricals
Electrical items – The Reuse Shop located at Waterdale recycling centre sells on donated electrical items. Reuse | Hertfordshire County Council, as does Debra charity shop on Queens road.
Batteries – Pleasenote batteries should never be placed in ANY binat home as they can be a fire risk. Instead, take to any shop/ supermarket which sells batteries and ask for their battery recycling bank.
Music
Music books – St Matthews Church holds a regular books swap, or donate to a charity shop
Instruments – Donate to https://www.electricumbrella.co.uk/Instruments (although not accepting donations currently) or take to Waterdale reuse shop Reuse | Hertfordshire County Council
CDs – Take to Waterdale reuse shop Reuse | Hertfordshire County Council or a charity shop.
Books
St Matthews Church holds a regular book swap
Charity shops
Add to the book reuse container at recycling centres
Bushey and Oxhey station book stall
DVDs
DVDs – Take to Waterdale reuse shop Reuse | Hertfordshire County Council or a charity shop
VHS cassettes – Try https://www.ebay.co.uk/ to reach VHS enthusiasts, or Gumtree for a job lot.
Fancy dress
Charity shop or pass on to families with younger children
Crafts
New Hope Trust on Queens Road, Olio, or a local brownie group
Games
Charity shop or see if D20, Watford’s board game café would use it
Toys and kids’ stuff
Charity shop, nursery or play group
Winter clothes
Coats, blankets and jumpers
Donate to Help 4 the Homeless: call 07396 755747 or email support@help4thehomeless.charity
Other clothing – charity shop, or see if there is a clothes swap taking place soon (with other tips for reducing textile waste) Fight fast fashion, unwearables and clothes swaps | Hertfordshire County Council
FAQ
What to do if it’s raining?
Events won’t be cancelled, so carry on or don’t; it’s your choice. Remember to cover items if needed.
How do I let people know I have items available?
Share on your personal network and use Oxhey Village Residents Facebook group as main point of digital contact. For non-digital users, the Allotment shop display board is the physical point of contact.
Who is in charge of OVEG Oxhey Swapsey?
As a community-led project, everyone is taking responsibility for their own items.
How do I know what is available?
Keep an eye on the Oxhey Village Residents Facebook Group or the Allotment shed blackboard. You may also like to take a walk and see what’s on offer.
OVEG 