Since 1990, Terri Bush has been collecting new and used stamps for charity. The first year, Terri helped RNIB raise £150 from stamp recycling. Last tax year she raised £12,000!
But, we urgently need more stamps if we are to make this year's target of £15,000.
So why not save all your stamps you get and send them to RNIB? More details are available on our stamps recycling page.
A born fundraiser
Terri first started fundraising for RNIB when working at a local video shop in Benfleet, Essex. The area manager asked for the staff to take part in a charity raffle.
"We had the fire brigade out one year!"
The next thing Terri knew, she was organising jumble sales, craft fairs, tombolas and fetes, all to raise money for blind and partially sighted people. The highlight of this was meeting the local fire service who turned out with their mascot 'Welephant' for one of the fetes.
Terri, Queen of Stamps
Terri is a swimming teacher who lives with her husband Kevin, two daughters Jessie and Emily and Speedy the tortoise (who is no help with the stamp sorting).
Stamp recycling first took off when on a trip to Bournemouth with Kevin, who is a keen stamp collector. Terri realised that there was money to be made, not just from stamp collections, but also from common-or-garden used British and overseas stamps.
"My house is like a stamp warehouse - there's no room for the family!"
Terri now drives a large Ford people carrier, named 'Doughnut Bob' so that she can transport all the sacks of stamps she receives, so that they can be sold to stamp dealers.
Word of mouth
Terri believes the key to successful fundraising is all about spreading the word. Now she has an army of 40 to 50 volunteers who live around the UK who help collect and trim the stamps (to 1cm of envelope around the stamp).
"If you've got any relatives who write here, or abroad, get them to send me all their stamps. And tell them to tell their friends, and their friends can tell their friends. It's all about word of mouth. Ask everybody!"
Get involved
Why not save all your stamps you receive at home and at work - and send them to RNIB? Details of what to do and where to send them are available on our stamps recycling page.
And like Terri says, spread the word, by sharing this story on Facebook and Twitter!