Read these accounts of two fictional schemes for returning lost belongings.

Text One: A report on a school's lost-property trial

For three weeks, office staff attached a numbered tag to every item handed in. They entered the number in a log with the date, the place where the item had been found and a brief description. Coats, bottles and stationery were placed on separate shelves. A weekly notice showed photographs and tag numbers, so pupils could identify an item before visiting the office.

The first review showed that more belongings were being returned, but it also revealed gaps in the system. Some objects remained in classrooms because taking them to the office was inconvenient. In addition, pupils attending lunchtime activities could not visit while the office was open. Labelled collection trays were therefore placed in each school block and emptied daily. The office also offered collection times before registration and after the final lesson.

Text Two: An account of a leisure centre's lost-property trial

The leisure centre had previously left lost belongings in baskets beside individual changing rooms. During a two-month trial, staff kept these baskets as collection points but transferred their contents to a central cupboard after each session. They recorded where and when each object had been found, together with any distinguishing features. Visitors could read a list at reception and describe an item they wished to reclaim.

The trial covered weekday swimming lessons, evening clubs and a busy weekend tournament. Staff compared the proportion of belongings returned rather than simply counting what remained in the cupboard, because the number of lost items changed when the centre was busier. Visitor comments led to a Saturday collection period. Staff also placed paper tags in protective sleeves after several labels became unreadable when wet.