MORE than 40 handbags have been donated at Barnsley College as part of a campaign set up in memory of a young woman who was murdered in 2018.
The Love Grace handbag appeal remembers 21-year-old Grace Millane who was murdered in New Zealand, and the campaign combines Grace’s love of handbags with a legacy in her name to end violence towards women.
Head of catering services at Barnsley College, Martyn Hollingsworth, whose niece was friends with Grace at university, originally started the college’s collection for the charity along with head of learning for living and work, Nicola Thomson-Dewey.
Donations can be dropped off from 8am to 2pm, Monday to Friday, at Crumbs Cafe situated at the front of the college’s Old Mill Lane campus on Church Street.
Recommended donations to fill the bags include toothpaste, toothbrushes, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant and wipes.
Nicola said: “Donations to this appeal make such a difference to women affected by domestic violence.
“These are women who may have been forced to leave their entire livelihoods behind to seek safety, the impact of having a handbag of their own and a few luxury items is huge to them.
“I hope we will collect as much as possible in this year’s effort for the charity and I encourage everyone to pop in and donate what they can.”
