Cumbria charities benefit from Lake District lost property that has not been claimed

Items of lost property are being put to good use by being given to local charities in the Lake District.

Unclaimed items from Windermere Lake Cruises have been handed over to charities in Cumbria.

Extensive efforts were made to return the items to their original owners although hundreds of items remain unclaimed.

The latest collection includes a multi-coloured crocheted blanket, 22 pairs of reading glasses, socks, sunglasses and sweaters.

As a result Windermere Lake Cruises has now donated several boxes of items to the North West Air Ambulance Charity (NWAA) in Penrith.

“Anything lost and found on our vessels is logged, dated and stored for three months before being packed up and donated to charity,” said Jennifer Cormack, Sales and Marketing Director for Windermere Lake Cruises.

“It’s nice to know that lost property is going to a good home rather than just being thrown away.

"The NWAA receives an average of three callouts a day and has saved countless lives in our area.

"We hope this small contribution helps such a valuable local charity.”

Windermere Lake Cruises also donated the 22 pairs of reading glasses to the charity “Peep” which works alongside their partner Lion’s Club to recycle or upcycle, restore or resell unwanted spectacles.

“We recently returned a lost wallet and documents to their owner after locating him through Facebook,” Ms Cormack added.

“We know how inconvenient it can be to lose keys, phones and wallets and that’s why we do our best to track their owners.

"But sometimes it proves impossible. That’s when we seek to support a good cause rather than throwing items away.”

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To know...