VOLUNTEERS from the Tools with a Mission (TWAM) charity are trying to spread the message that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

John and Wendy Hilton recently saw a sewing machine in apparently good condition left at a waste recycling centre.

The machine could make all the difference to a family in Uganda, providing income for the parents so the family can afford more food and the children can go to school.

TWAM collects and refurbishes unwanted items and sends them out to training projects in Africa.

Last year some of the items sent to African countries included 3,470 sewing machines with a sewing kit, 360 carpentry kits, 347 typewriters, 370 motor mechanics kits and 245 boxes of haberdashery. Volunteers John and Wendy are urging anyone moving home or having a clear out who comes across old tools to donate them rather than send them to landfill.

To contact the Dorchester collectors call 01305 267098 or email jandwehilton@wait rose.com