We are encouraging you to SHARE THE LOVE by introducing a friend or family member to the joy of charity shopping. There are several benefits associated with indulging in some retail therapy at your local charity shop – when they find out about these, how could they resist getting involved?!

 

Guaranteed Savings

You will be amazed by how much money you can save by shopping in charity shops. Read about the ‘in for a penny, in for a pound’ campaign to see how easily you can start saving. Over the years, charity shops have tried to help millions of struggling families and given lots of people the opportunity to purchase clothes, toys and home comforts for as little as a few pence.

 

Supporting Charities

Each purchase you make at a charity shop (no matter how big or small) will help to generate much-needed funds for charities which often provide vital lifelines for the community. These will ensure that charities can continue to operate and help vulnerable people/animals/etc. So, while you are indulging in retail therapy and digging out bargains, you will also be helping to support charities.

 

Sustainability

Whether you are a customer or a supporter, charity shops are much more sustainable for the environment. They provide an ethical way of disposing of unwanted items, preventing them from going to landfill and therefore reducing the amount of landfill tax that the council must pay – these savings can then be retained for use on other services that would benefit local residents. The reduction in landfill also makes a positive difference to the UK’s carbon footprint as it drastically reduces the amount of carbon emissions through reusing and recycling activities. A charity shop’s first choice is always to reuse items by selling them on and giving them a new lease of life. Where this is not possible, they will seek to recycle.

 

Supporting the High Street

Charity shops are not seen as direct competitors to larger supermarket chains as they don’t sell the same stock. Instead, they are seen as partners, helping to support them by increasing footfall and keeping the high-street busy and populated. This has a clear advantage to local economies, and offers shopper a wider range of options without being detrimental to other companies.

 

Skill Opportunities

Charity shops offer additional employment opportunities, as well as being great starting points for work placements and volunteering. All of these are great ways of learning new skills, ensuring our workforce is fully-equipped for the future they have ahead of them.

Over 25,000 stable jobs and 230,000 volunteering opportunities are created through the existence of charity shops. Volunteering comes with a list of benefits of its own, including helping to address issues of loneliness and social isolation which may otherwise lead to mental health problems.

 

At the RSPCA Doncaster, Rotherham and District Branch, we guarantee to put all donations to good use, whether this be reusing or recycling. We have 4 charity shops which each sell a range of goods, from clothing and homeware to bric-a-brac and books. We also sell some items on our eBay and Depop. We are extremely grateful for all donations, and all funds raised help to support the daily operational needs of our self-funded animal centre.