Gloucester BID will be showcasing its charity shops in Gloucester City Centre in a month-long campaign this March.
It will encourage the public to view charity shops as vital places where they can frequently shop for valuable items they would typically get from high street shops at a higher price.
Support is essential to the operation of charity shops as they depend on donations and purchases to aid the local causes they support. The national Charity Shop Survey by the Civil Society in 2021 showed how even the largest charity shops chains lost a combined £70 million during the turbulent economic impact of the past two years.
Apart from the wide range of goods you can get in charity shops, there is the significant benefit that charity shops support good causes and help people in need.
Gloucester BID spoke to several charity shop managers and volunteers prior to the campaign launch on Tuesday 1 March. Longfield Hospice Care for Gloucester volunteer, Fiona, said, “Working for Longfield Hospice Care, a local Gloucestershire charity for people with life limiting illnesses, is really fulfilling. I get to make a difference in a friendly shop with quality stock. Making the decision to shop in a charity shop means you are actively contributing to the support provided to those that are desperately in need.”
Cancer Research UK Gloucester Manager, Nikki, said, “Shopping in charity shops has a number of benefits, such as preventing items from ending up in a landfill, and encouraging recycling and upcycling. Charity shops are a phenomenal way of supporting a good cause without spending anything over and above what you normally would.”
Gloucester City Centre has a wide selection of charity shops boasting a diverse range of items at competitive prices. The campaign across Gloucester BID social media seeks to provide engaging information to motivate people to visit charity shops whenever they’re shopping or browsing in the city centre.
Gloucester BID Manager Emily Gibbon said, “Considering the raising concerns sweeping the nation over the rise of the cost of living and the extent of our environmental impact, charity shops are more vital than ever as sustainable and affordable places to buy quality clothing, home décor, furniture and books without breaking the bank.”
The charity shop campaign will be showcased every Tuesday, staring from the 1st of March, on Gloucester BID’s Instagram (@Gloucester_BID), Twitter (@GloucesterBID), TikTok (@GloucesterBID), and Facebook (@GloucesterBID).
