Post donations to PO Box 345 Virginia QLD 4014
Why this matters
Gyms are built on discipline, routine and community.
They are places people show up, push themselves and support each other.
This campaign taps into that same energy and redirects it toward something bigger: a simple action, that creates a real outcome for women in need.
A bag that can change someone’s day, their dignity and their sense of self.
Who can participate
This is open to gym and franchise owners who want to drive meaningful change.
Those who understand the bigger picture, and know that a small action, when multiplied, can have incredible impact.
How it works
Simple to run.
Easy to activate.
Designed to fit into your space.
01 REGISTER
Sign up your gym to take part in the campaign
02 SHARE
Let your members know and invite them to get involved
03 SET UP
Create a collection point in your gym
04 COLLECT
Encourage members to donate a bag filled with essentials
06 DROP OFF
Deliver donations to your nearest Bunnings store
Gemma arrived at a refuge after fleeing domestic violence and found an It’s in the Bag waiting for her, a small act that gave her hope when she needed it most.
Today, she supports others on that same journey, helping women find safety, dignity and belonging.
to help women and girls in need
Your bag will give hope and dignity to a woman or girl spending Christmas in a domestic violence refuge or homelessness shelter.
Adult Bag Inclusions
- Period Products
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Deodorant (roll-on preferred)
- Soap or Body Wash
Teen Bag Inclusions
Please tag bag with a yellow ribbon.
- Period Products for small bodies
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Deodorant (roll-on preferred)
- Soap or Body Wash
Mum & Bub Bag Inclusions
Please tag bag with a purple ribbon.
- Maternity Period Products
- Shampoo & Conditioner
- Toothbrush & Toothpaste
- Deodorant (roll-on preferred)
- Soap or Body Wash
- Newborn Nappies & Nappy Bags
- Breast Pads
- Baby Shampoo
- Baby Soap/Wash
- Baby Wipes
- Dummy
- Nappy Rash Cream
Optional inclusion for all bags: a handwritten note and some extra special items.
How it works
It’s in the Bag is one of Australia’s most cherished Christmas appeals, where we encourage everyday Australians to fill a bag (teen, adult, or mum & bub bag) with essential items and a simple hand written note. For those willing and able to go above and beyond, we encourage the addition of an extra special touch.
Each donation is personally checked, tagged and recorded by our generous volunteers, then transported to our trusty network of charity partners who will gift them to women and girls waking up in domestic violence shelters or homelessness refuges on Christmas Day.
Why partner with us
Clear impact
Every action leads to a tangible outcome
Meaningful engagement
Bring your members together around something bigger
Strong alignment
Partner with a trusted national charity
Scalable
Run it in one location or across your entire network
Thank you Bunnings
Since we started partnering in 2016 we have collected over 1 million bags together at Bunnings stores nationwide. Thank you Bunnings for helping us share the dignity!
FAQs
What is #StrengthinEveryBag and where can I donate?
#StrengthinEveryBag is a national community campaign delivered as part of Share the Dignity’s It’s in the Bag initiative. The campaign encourages gyms and franchise communities across Australia to pack bags with essential items for women and girls experiencing domestic violence, homelessness, or financial hardship.
Through the power of community and simple acts of giving, every donated bag can help restore dignity, confidence and comfort to someone doing it tough.
You can donate your completed bag at participating gyms and franchise locations across Australia involved in the #StrengthinEveryBag campaign.
Can someone collect bags from our gym or franchise?
As a predominantly volunteer-based charity, Share the Dignity does not have the resources or volunteer capacity to organise direct collections.
Participating gyms and franchise locations are responsible for collecting donated bags and delivering them to their local Bunnings Warehouse store during the campaign collection period.
What can't go inside bags/what are prohibited items?
Unfortunately, we cannot accept these items:
- Used or open items
- Pharmaceutical items (including condoms, throat lozenges, medication and vitamins)
- Food and drinks of any kind (including tea, gum, mints)
- Sharp objects (including knives, razors and scissors)
- Loose tampons and pads
- Used clothing (including bras)
Nail clippers and sewing kits are fine, so long as they are new and unopened.
Please remember:
- The bag itself needs to be in good condition but can be a pre-loved handbag or backpack
- All donations must be brand new, still sealed and in their original packaging
- Separated bulk pack items must be individually sealed
- All donations must comply with TGA packaging standards
- Handmade items must be brand new, not used, (packaged if possible) with a note saying ‘handmade/new by [name]’.
What type of bag can I use?
We also ask that the bag is either brand new or in excellent condition.
What goes inside Adult Bags?
Essentials for Adult Bags
- Period products (pads, tampons, reusable pads, period-proof underwear and menstrual cups).
- Shampoo (full size preferred)
- Conditioner (full size preferred)
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Deodorant (roll-on preferred)
- Soap or body wash
Don't include
- Used or open items
- Pharmaceutical items (including condoms, throat lozenges, medication and vitamins)
- Food and drinks of any kind (including tea, gum, mints)
- Sharp objects (including razors and scissors)
- Loose tampons and pads
- Used clothing (including bras)
Nail clippers and sewing kits are fine, so long as they are new and unopened.
Please remember
- The bag itself needs to be in good condition but can be a pre-loved handbag or backpack
- All donations must be brand new, still sealed and in their original packaging
- Please do not separate out bulk packs
- All donations must comply with packaging TGA code of practice
- All handmade items must be brand new and not used
What goes inside Teen Bags?
Essentials for Teen Bags
- Period products suitable for young bodies (pads, tampons, reusable pads, period-proof underwear and menstrual cups).
- Shampoo (full size preferred)
- Conditioner (full size preferred)
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Deodorant (roll-on preferred)
- Soap or body wash
Unfortunately, we cannot accept these items:
- Used or open items
- Pharmaceutical items (including condoms, throat lozenges, medication and vitamins)
- Food and drinks of any kind (including tea, gum, mints)
- Sharp objects (including razors and scissors)
- Loose tampons and pads
- Used clothing (including bras)
Nail clippers and sewing kits are fine, so long as they are new and unopened.
Please remember
- The bag itself needs to be in good condition but can be a pre-loved handbag or backpack
- All donations must be brand new, still sealed and in their original packaging
- Please do not separate out bulk packs
- All donations must comply with packaging TGA code of practice
- All handmade items must be brand new and not used
What goes inside Mum & Bub Bags?
Essentials for Mum & Bub Bags
- Period products suitable for mums (Maternity pads)
- Shampoo (full size preferred)
- Conditioner (full size preferred)
- Toothbrush & toothpaste
- Deodorant (roll-on preferred)
- Soap or body wash
- Breast pads
- Newborn nappies
- Baby Shampoo & Conditioner
- Baby soap or wash
- Disposable nappy bags
- Baby wipes
- Dummies
- Nappy rash cream
Please identify a Mum & Bub Bag by using a purple bag tag or ribbon
Unfortunately, we cannot accept these items:
- Used or open items
- Pharmaceutical items (including condoms, throat lozenges, medication and vitamins)
- Food and drinks of any kind (including tea, gum, mints)
- Sharp objects (including razors and scissors)
- Loose tampons and pads
- Used clothing (including bras)
Nail clippers and sewing kits are fine, so long as they are new and unopened.
Please remember
- The bag itself needs to be in good condition but can be a pre-loved handbag or backpack
- All donations must be brand new, still sealed and in their original packaging
- Please do not separate out bulk packs
- All donations must comply with packaging TGA code of practice
- All handmade items must be brand new and not used
I have an open packet/item, can I donate this?
No. Donations must be brand new, sealed in their original packaging.
To comply with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) requirements, all period products are required to be brand new, unopened and in their original packaging.
Handmade items must be unused, in a package with instructions, including where it was made, by who and use of product information.
Can I donate used or lightly used clothes (including bras)?
Please don't include these items in your bags. You can reach out to your local charities (like domestic violence refuges) to see if they would like a donation. Find your nearest on Ask Izzy.
Why do you prefer roll-on deodorant?
Roll-on deodorant is preferred as it is not able to be misused (for example for chroming). If an aerosol item is included in a donated bag, our volunteers will keep this aside and provide to our charity partner separately.
Are hotel toiletries okay to donate?
Full-sized items are preferred so they will last longer for the recipient, however, hotel-sized items will still be accepted.
What if I accidentally donate something prohibited?
Our wonderful volunteers (Sheroes) inspect the bag to ensure all the essentials are there. If we come across any prohibited items, they are removed and offered separately to registered charities, if the items are safe for them to accept.
Can someone collect bags from our gym or franchise?
As a predominantly volunteer-based charity, Share the Dignity does not have the resources or volunteer capacity to organise direct collections.
Participating gyms and franchise locations are responsible for collecting donated bags and delivering them to their local Bunnings Warehouse store during the campaign collection period.
Do my donations go to someone locally?
We do our best to keep donations in the local area where possible. However, as a National Charity we try to distribute donations to those in need. This may mean that where we collect more than what is needed in a state/area, we transport the donations to alternate locations where we have not collected enough.
I have empty bags or spare items to donate, can I donate them too?
Absolutely! We can accept empty bags. If you are donating a pre-loved handbag, we ask that it is in great condition, clean and no clear signs of use.
Feel free to add other brand-new items into the collection bins that can be used for other bags, we are often short on essentials.
I've missed the collections at Bunnings, what should I do?
If you missed the collection dates at Bunnings Warehouse, you can post your donation to:
Share the Dignity
PO Box 345
Virginia QLD 4014
As a predominantly volunteer-based charity, Share the Dignity is unable to organise direct collection services.
Can I donate reusable items like period undies, menstrual cups and handmade pads?
Absolutely! They need to be brand new and sealed in their packaging.
This means for:
- Period undies there must be tags on or still in the box
- Menstrual cups must be in original packaging (to comply with the Therapeutic Goods Association requirements) and include information on Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS)
- Reusable pads must be packaged and include
-
- The name/type of the product
- Instructions for use
- List of products used to create the item
- The name and address of the manufacturer
- The batch number or serial number for the product contained within the pack
- If your product comes in multiple sizes, the size of the unit contained in the pack
Are bags that are donated checked or looked at before being donated?
Once collected, all bags are checked by our volunteers (Sheroes) before being taken to the charities. We remove any prohibited items, but where possible bags stay as donated. Removed items are offered separately to registered charities if the items are safe for them to accept.
Can I become a collection point?
Yes - gyms and franchise owners across Australia are encouraged to support the #StrengthinEveryBag campaign by providing members and local communities with a convenient place to drop off donations.
Please note that Bunnings Warehouse is the official collection partner, so all donated bags collected at gyms or franchise locations will need to be transported to a local Bunnings store for collection by Share the Dignity volunteers.
