TK Maxx has raised £25.5m for Cancer Research UK, the retailer announced this week.

The money has been donated through the store’s Give Up Clothes for Good campaign, which collects unwanted garments from customers and passes them on to Cancer Research UK shops.

Of the £25.5m total, £21.5m will go be spent on specialist research into children’s cancers, with the remaining £4m going towards general cancer research.

The amount raised through the initiative has made TK Maxx the biggest corporate funder of research into children’s cancers in the UK.

Jo Murphy, the firm’s head of corporate responsibility, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the exceptional generosity of our customers and associates over the years to help us reach this momentous milestone of £25m.

“We are very proud of the contribution that we can make that will help Cancer Research UK do the vital work to beat kids’ cancers and support improvement in treatments and cures for children affected by cancer."

Cancer Research UK said it was “overwhelmed” by the donations and thanked TK Maxx and its customers for their support.