Derry: Christmas jumper swap shop cutting down on winter waste

The Derry City and Strabane District Council initiative follows a successful Halloween costume swap shop event that was staged back in October.

A Christmas jumper swap shop event in Londonderry is helping to make this festive season more sustainable.

People from across the Derry City and Strabane District Council area were asked to raid their wardrobes for their unwanted Christmas jumpers.

Donated festive knitwear was then swapped at an event in the Guildhall on Saturday afternoon.

The council-run initiative follows a successful Halloween costume swap-shop event staged back in October.

The council's waste and recycling officer Julie Hannaway said that many people can be guilty of buying a brand new Christmas jumper and wearing it only once.

'Swapping instead of shopping'

Speaking to BBC News NI, Ms Hannaway said swap-shop events like this are a great way of giving castaway Christmas jumpers a new lease of life.

"This swap shop is just to give people an opportunity to swap a jumper they were maybe thinking of throwing away or that wasn't being worn anymore for a different one," Ms Hannaway said.

"Swapping instead of shopping helps to cut down on cost and also tackle the amount of Christmas waste that goes to landfill each year."

A number of Christmas jumpers were donated to the swap-shop event

Ms Hannaway said that an estimated £65m worth of unwanted and unloved Christmas jumpers was cluttering up households across the UK and the council was doing its part to try to find them new homes.

Nuala Lewington, from Lifford, County Donegal, came down to the swap shop in Derry with her daughter Feenie to find a Christmas jumper for her four-year-old grandson Jem.

"We all need to be so conscious about how much we throw away" - Nuala Lewington (right)

"The kids just outgrow their jumpers so quickly and this is just a wonderful way to help find him another one," Nuala said.

"We all need to be so conscious about how much we throw away, especially in the current climate we are in at the minute."

Jem swapped his old red Christmas jumper for an out-of-this-world blue one.

He decided to pick this particular jumper because it had a rocket ship on it and he is mad about space.

Jem said he is looking forward to Christmas and is now suitably dressed for the arrival of Santa in a few weeks' time.

Santa himself took time out of his busy schedule to be at the Guildhall on Saturday

He even got to see Santa himself on his way into the Guildhall so he knows that he is definitely on the nice list this year.

Amelia McFarland, in true Christmas spirit, was thinking only of others when she came down to the Guildhall with her dad Norman and sister Grace.

Amelia McFarland (left) donated an old Christmas jumper she no longer wears

When Amelia heard about the swap-shop event she decided to go through her clothes and donate an old Christmas jumper that she no longer wears so that someone else can enjoy it.

"I wanted to donate my reindeer jumper that I don't wear anymore," she told BBC News NI.

"I think it's good because other people can get my jumper for free, maybe if they don't have any money to buy one of their own."