Supporting People, Reducing Waste, Strengthening Community
Saturday 31st January 2026, 1–3pm
Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability, UEL Docklands Campus
University Way, Royal Docks, E16 2RD
Accessible by DLR (Cyprus) and buses 101, 173, 262, 300, 366, 376, 474, N551. Parking available.
The Winter All4Free Event 2026 returns this January — a quarterly community giveaway supporting individuals and families with essential items completely free.
What’s Available
- Free items for all ages: baby essentials, children’s clothing, shoes, school uniforms, toys, games, books, adult leisure wear and smart clothes, kitchenware, household items, small electric appliances.
- Refreshments: free hot drinks and light snacks.
- Family-focused spaces: safe play area for children, women-only nursing area, and baby changing facilities.
- No questions asked. Everyone is welcome.
Clean, undamaged donations can be dropped off on Friday 30th January from 2pm or on the event day from 12pm.
Why All4Free Matters
For four years, our quarterly All4Free events have been a lifeline — each one supporting 300–550 people with essential goods they might otherwise struggle to afford. Many attendees include:
- overseas students,
- people in the asylum process,
- those living in temporary accommodation,
- people experiencing hidden poverty and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
Addressing Material Need
In 2021/22, nearly one in five children in the UK — around 2.6 million — were in material deprivation, meaning their families could not afford items and activities considered necessary for a decent standard of living. Of these, around 1.1 million children were materially deprived even without being in a low-income household, and 1.5 million experienced both material deprivation and low family income.
These figures reflect the reality in boroughs like Newham, where many families struggle with basic needs even as essential goods are thrown away unnecessarily.
Turning Waste into Worth
According to the latest official data for the 2023/24 year, there were over 1.15 million fly-tipping incidents reported across England — a 6% increase on the previous year — with household waste accounting for around 60% of cases.
Much of what ends up illegally dumped or in landfill are perfectly usable items — clothes, toys, kitchen wares — that could support families in need if redistributed.
A Community-Powered Solution
The All4Free concept is simple but powerful:
Donate what you don’t need. Take what you do — all for free.
This approach:
- Reduces waste and prevents good items from going into landfill.
- Supports community members who are struggling with poverty, cost of living pressures, or unstable housing.
- Builds connections between people who have and people who need.
- Models a circular, sharing-economy approach to material goods.
How You Can Help
- Spread the word: share this event across your networks.
- Donate: bring clean, good-quality items on Jan 30 or the event day.
- Volunteer: help set up, steward the event, or support families on the day.
Every bit of support helps strengthen our community and makes sure that nothing useful goes to waste while neighbours go without.