A Swindon-based company has raised more than £20,000 for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance (WAA) through recycling old clothes and textiles.

Recycling and waste management company Hills Waste Solutions and Devizes Textiles Ltd launched a scheme in 2014 in which Hills agreed to make a £25 donation to WAA for every tonne of textiles recycled.

And in the past year nearly 830 tonnes of textiles were recycled across the county, resulting in a donation of £20,710 to the WAA which was handed over on Friday.

Rebecca de la Bedoyere, senior fundraising manager at WAA, said: “We are extremely grateful to Hills for their ongoing commitment to Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

“Initiatives like this are truly win-win as they make good use of outgrown or unwanted clothes, reduce landfill, and best of all the more people donate, the more money is raised to help keep us flying and saving lives here in Wiltshire and surrounding counties.

“As a mum with a school-age child myself, I think this is a brilliant time to have a clear out of old uniform, knowing that every item recycled will make a real difference to our charity.”

Steve Burns, divisional director for Hills Waste Solutions, went to the WAA headquarters in Devizes to deliver the cheque. He said: “At Hills we are constantly looking at ways in which we can prevent unwanted items from going into landfill, and this allows us to reach that goal while also giving something back to a good cause.

“With the new school year around the corner, many parents will be looking to get a new uniform for their children. Recycling the old uniform instead of throwing it out is an easy way to clear space in the wardrobe, while helping to raise money for an incredible charity.

“We are delighted to be able to support such a worthwhile cause and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Wiltshire Air Ambulance.”

Wiltshire Air Ambulance has been saving lives for over 25 years and is available up to 19 hours a day, 365 days a year. It costs £3.25 million a year to keep the air ambulance flying.