A Kent heating firm has raised hundreds of pounds for a children’s hospice by holding a warehouse giveaway of excess stock. Swale Heating opened up its warehouse to its engineers as part of a yearly clear-out.

Staff took what they wanted in exchange for a cash donation, raising more than £500 for Demelza Hospice Care for Children, the charity based in Kent, South East London and East Sussex that provides care for babies, children and young people with life-limiting illnesses and their families.

Organiser Maciej Zglobisz said: “The giveaway was an opportunity for our engineers to take returned and end-of-line parts that are still serviceable and give what they felt was a fair donation.

“It helped us meet our sustainability goals by recycling, rather than disposing of, unwanted stock and at the same time, we raised money for the amazing work that Demelza Hospice does. We would like to thank all the engineers who turned up and donated.”

Swale Heating is a committed supporter of the children’s charity, even donating £9,000 a month of its own airtime so that Demelza can promote its services through TV advertising. Swale Heating has also maintained Demelza’s heating free of charge for seven years and displays its logo on all vehicles.

Rachel Walker, Corporate Partnerships Executive at Demelza, said: “Without the support of business partners like Swale Heating, we really could not continue to provide the outstanding care we do for the children and families that use our services. Swale Heating has been supporting Demelza since 2009, a long-term partner who’s staff are always at the heart of our relationship and for that we cannot thank them enough.”