Ah springtime. When mornings and evenings get lighter and the rain gets warmer.

I don’t know about you, but once we start to emerge from the darkest days of winter, I develop an overwhelming urge to throw things away. I suppose this is where the notion of spring cleaning comes from as we throw open the doors to welcome (ahem) summer.

There’s a show on the BBC at the moment that captures this springtime Zeitgeist, with presenter Stacey Dooley descending on homes across the country where quite frankly, the ‘stuff’ has got out of hand. I have a complex relationship with de-cluttering; once I get going I love it, but hate the thought of the faff and piles of tat that need to be got rid of. The appeal of the TV show is having someone come in and do it for you. Let’s be honest it has crossed my mind that I could just get all our stuff strewn across the house and the call the Beeb in!

However, we all know that’s unlikely to happen so it’s time to don the rubber gloves and get out the bin bags. The great thing about our community is that there’s actually very little to be binned- so much of what we don’t use is a lifesaver for someone else. We have many charity shops we can offer items to, the amazing Friends in Need helps people furnish their homes when they can’t afford to buy things and also fundraises through people passing things on. There are free Facebook groups to offer things to and the likes of Gumtree if you need to earn a few pennies from your unwanted things. I once saw an image a friend posted online of a landfill site with the heading: There is no ‘away’ (as in throwing things away). That really stuck with me. If it goes in the bin, it goes in the ground.

So if like me you’re having a de-clutter over Easter, set yourself the challenge of re-homing as much as possible. It’s good feng-shui for you, can really help others out and it’s great for the planet.