Families in Ashby-de-la-Zouch and surrounding North West Leicestershire villages are being invited to join a completely free seven-day challenge to tackle outgrown children's belongings before Christmas.

Called Outgrown, Not Wasted, the initiative encourages parents to sort through children's clothes, toys, books, shoes and baby equipment, finding practical ways to keep useful items from going to waste.

Rather than attempting a major clear-out in one weekend, families work through a different category each day.

Every item has five possible outcomes: keep it, pass it on to another family, donate it, recycle it responsibly or sell it.

The challenge was created by Karolina Gudes, a mum of two from North Wales and founder of Kidora, a UK family platform.

Karolina said: "Children outgrowing something does not mean it has stopped being useful. A coat, toy or book that one child has finished with could be exactly what another family needs."

Ashby already has examples of families benefiting from reuse.

Ashby Hill Top Primary School encourages parents to pass uniforms between siblings and friends. Its parent association also organises second-hand uniform sales, helping families access affordable clothing.

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The wider North West Leicestershire area has previously hosted free school-uniform swap shops, demonstrating how sharing good-quality clothing can reduce waste and household costs.

These initiatives are independent of Outgrown, Not Wasted, but reflect the same principle of keeping useful belongings in circulation.

With Christmas approaching, families can also use the challenge to rediscover forgotten toys and review what children already own before buying more.

Parents should check baby equipment for damage, missing parts, safety warnings and recalls before passing it on.

Kidora operates a UK marketplace for preloved baby and children's items, but participation in the challenge requires no registration, purchase or sale.

Free printable checklists and resources for schools, nurseries, PTAs and community groups are available online.