Your unwanted currency helps fight child poverty

If, like me, you travel with small children,  it's good to know that now we can give something back to kids  less fortunate than our own. The Children’s Society has today launched a new partnership  with Travelex Foreign Currency Services that will see  unwanted holiday currency, foreign coins and notes turned into  vital funds to help some of society’s most  disadvantaged children. Two thirds of travellers return from abroad with foreign currency and the average holidaymaker returns home  with just over £28 in notes and coins. This new partnership hopes to raise over £25,000 in the next year that will go towards helping hundreds  of vulnerable children simply through collecting unused currency. Just 5% of people ever change the foreign money back into sterling.  Worse still, 17% admit they have thrown away the money on returning, rather than be lumbered with loose change.  Only 4% donate it to charity, even though it is easy to hand it over to good causes.

Visa Europe estimates that UK travellers amass on average more than £900m unused foreign currency a year. Collection boxes are located at all 84 Children’s Society shops, and collection pouches can be provided for  offices, schools and churches.   For your nearest Children’s Society shop  please visit The Children’s Society or call their supporter care team on 0300 303 7000.