Forgotten Gold Coast airport lost and found belongings go to good cause

From wallets to glasses, clothes to strollers — hundreds of items are lost at Gold Coast Airport every month but those left unclaimed are going to a good cause.

When you’re tired from a long flight or rushing to meet your next one, it’s easy to forget things.

Over 500 lost items are handed in to Gold Coast Airport staff every month. Gold Coast airport lost and found

Among them are designer sunglasses, smart devices and an unusually large number of child’s strollers.

Any unclaimed, useful items are sent to John Lee at Tweed Heads charity You Have A Friend.

“It’s quite amazing to see how many people just get up and get on the plane and leave everything behind,” Mr Lee said.

“I do know that they’ve had prosthetic limbs and things like that [left behind] but that doesn’t come in here … I don’t know what I’d do with them.”

Items like warm clothes, stuffed toys and books are donated directly to locals in need or sold in the op shop.

Being given a free, almost brand-new stroller is especially helpful for struggling mums. Gold Coast airport lost property

“Some of them almost break down in tears because they’ve got nothing,” Mr Lee said.

“The kids love it. The little kids know they’re getting a new pram,” he said.

“The clothes too; some of the clothes are beautiful.”

Lost and found

Staff at the airport often have their hands full dealing with lost and found.

Gold Coast Airport general manager of operations Brett Curtis said lost property was almost a full-time job for staff.

“There are so many items being handed in,” he said

“People use a pram while they’re here on holidays and they have no need for it when they go home.

“So they just leave it in the terminal and we take care of it.”

Staff try to find the owners of lost items, but only a third of belongings are ever reclaimed.

Mr Curtis said for the past eight years, anything left unclaimed for six months went to the charity.

“We’d rather hand it off to a worthy cause than send it on to landfill,” he said.

“Passing it on to people in need is just so rewarding.

“It’s a great opportunity to help the local community.”

It’s as they say — one person’s trash can become another’s treasure.