Sheep’s head and ferret among strange charity shop donations – BBC News

Sheep’s head and ferret among strange charity shop donations – BBC News

Posted by John P. Bradford // December 24, 2016

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Image copyright Charities Aid Foundation

A sheep’s head, a prosthetic leg and a ferret are among the strangest gifts people have given to charities.

The items, which feature in a top 10 list of strange donations, were given to charities including Oxfam and Guide Dogs for the Blind.

The list, which was compiled by the Charities Aid Foundation, also includes a ventriloquist dummy and two canaries.

The donations have either been left at charity shops or bequeathed as legacies.

Other goods included a Victoria Cross and a Doulton Faience ceramic vase, which was spotted by valuers working for Oxfam.

Known as a moon flask because of its shape, the Doulton Faience vase was given to one of the charity’s High Street shops.

The piece – dated circa 1890 – sold for 2,400 at auction in June 2016.

Image copyright Charities Aid Foundation

The top 10:

• A sheep’s head (Sue Ryder)

• A prosthetic leg (Emmaus)

• A ventriloquist dummy (British Heart Foundation)

• A Victoria Cross Medal (CAF)

• Property (ranging from a townhouse in Central London to rural chocolate box cottages)

• A moon flask (Oxfam)

• A pair of canaries (Cancer Research UK)

• A live ferret (Blue Cross For Pets)

• A wedding dress used in an episode of Coronation Street (Guide Dogs For The Blind)

• A Kermit The Frog puppet from the 1970s

Joanna Walker, head of private clients at CAF, said: “People’s generous and unusual donations make charity shops and websites an amazing source of items to buy, helping people personalise their homes and supporting thousands of vital causes in the process.”

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38408407