This feature originally appeared in the Autumn 2025 issue of In Trinity, which focuses on our key value of ‘Curiosity’.
Tucked discreetly beside the swimming pool and opposite the climbing wall lies one of Trinity’s most quietly remarkable spaces. Warm in winter, stifling in summer, and always faintly scented with the musk of old PE kits and lone trainers, the Lost Property room is part treasure trove, part detective bureau, and an unsung pillar of school life.
At its heart is a small, dedicated group of parent volunteers who open the cupboard doors each morning between 8-9am, helping students reunite with their forgotten belongings. Led by parent Vanessa Collier, this team offers patience, discretion, and an impressive knack for deduction. All bring a friendly face, zero judgement, and a deep appreciation for the power of a good label.
And what do they encounter? Almost everything. School bags, sports kits, single shoes, musical instruments, and water bottles…hundreds of them! But also, more unusual curios: a witch’s hat, a magnetic dartboard, a lone doll, the occasional half-completed art or science project. If curiosity is sparked by the unexpected, then this small room is its epicentre.
Items are carefully checked for any clue of ownership – initials, siblings’ names, club crests – and students are contacted when something matches. Over time, the LP team has even honed a sharp eye for crests of local schools and clubs, enabling them to return wayward kit left behind after fixtures or events. Unnamed items are neatly sorted by date and type – racks for clothes, shelves for water bottles, and boxes for valuables – waiting patiently to be claimed.
“We see it all,” Vanessa says. “But what never gets old is the look on a student’s face when they’re reunited with something they thought was lost forever. That’s our reward, and we know there’s usually a relieved parent behind the scenes too.”
Of course, not all items make their way home. In those cases, they’re donated where possible: to the school’s Good As New sale, with profits going to the Trinity Malawi Project, local charities, or upcycled elsewhere. The cupboard’s quiet ecosystem ensures that very little goes to waste.
In a busy school where students are juggling timetables, activities and kit, the Lost Property room is a calm and quietly efficient space; a small act of daily care, surrounded by neatly catalogued curiosities.
With many thanks to Vanessa for the article and all parent volunteers in the Lost Property team. Pictured are four of the ten-strong team, all current parents. (Left-to-right: Carly, Vanessa, Pete and Tom). Any queries should go to: lostproperty@trinity.croydon.sch.uk
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