What Are The Charity Shops In The UK For Second-Hand Items
April 7, 2024This article is about charity shops in the UK that receive donations of used items for resale and use the profits made to fund charity programs.
What Is a Charity Shop?
Finding a home for preloved and used items helps prevent the increasing tonnes of waste that degrades the environment. Donating to charity shops during opening hours is the best way to promote this cause. By giving out used items a second chance¹, waste outputs are reduced globally. Charity shops accept donated items for resale. Many of the proceeds accepted by charity sales are used to support the less privileged and the poor. To find your local collection service simply go to the charity’s website or give them a call by telephone.
Items You Can Donate To a Charity Shop
- Shoes
- Bags
- Clothes
- Furniture
- Books
- Phones
- Children’s Toys
- Foreign currencies
Charity Shops In The UK
Most high street charity shops in the UK and northern ireland have staff and volunteers who receive their pre loved stock for resale through the public donating items during opening hours and their shops sell these. Some charity shops are large enough to have fitting rooms that customers can use to try on clothes. If you would like to find your local Charity Shop to buy second-hand items from at low prices or to donate to, here are some that will be useful to your search.
● Oxfam
Oxfam shop, Dublin
Joehawkins, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Oxfam, a subsidiary company Oxfam International is a company in england and wales limited by guarantee and was established in 1942 as an organization to fight against inequality, poverty, and injustice. Spread across 21 countries today, Oxfam uses its resources to support the less privileged from selling second-hand or vintage pieces². With profits made from sales, they work with local partners to carry out community-based programs that will help the less privileged and vulnerable around the globe.
Oxfam has been changing lives for 75 years and has 4,000 global partners carrying out these life activities.
● Shop From Crisis
Shop From Crisis has an ecommerce online shop platform and physical charity local shops with a registered office based in england and wales. They mainly accept clothing and accessories from the public donating items to shops to sell as second-hand on their platforms and in their stores which are manned by staff and volunteers. Shop From Crisis uses its profits to combat homelessness and support the affected. Between 2021 and 2022 alone, they supported no fewer than 1500 individuals in the UK. Also, they’ve provided £3.2 million in aid to local organizations fighting the epidemic of homelessness around the country.
A new development is that their website allows individuals to give cash donations instead of materials. As for their product range, clothes and accessories have been available in stock since the 90s. You can buy preloved fashion items from the best designers like LV, Levi’s, Paul Galtier, and Christian Dior.
● British Heart Foundation
British Heart Foundation shop, 51 High Street, Northwich.
British Heart Foundation, 51 High Street, Northwich by Roger A Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Established in 1962, BHF is a leading supporter of fund our life research in the health field. They have supported funding various research in heart transplants, portable defibrillators, and many other aspects of heart and circulatory conditions.
BHF has been a leading frontrunner in influencing government policies that affect health inequality. Also, backed by qualified staff and volunteers, they provide support systems for those battling health and circulatory problems.
From employees, to individuals and households, BHF charity local shops accept a variety of pre loved household things during opening hours from the public donating items that can be useful for resale. They even provide a free collection and house cleaning service for willing donors. To find your local collection service from British heart foundation go to their website or give them a call by telephone.
British heart foundation’s online shop platform is a consignment store for clothing and accessories, furniture, beds, electronic devices, health devices, and washing machines. As stated earlier, profits are used to fund research in heart and circulatory health fields to combat diseases and manage conditions.
● The British Red Cross
British Red Cross Walmgate York.
Malcolmxl5, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The British Red Cross Society is a partner to Red Cross and Red Crescent organizations all over the world. For over hundred and fifty years, the British Red Cross has provided relief and support to victims of war and crisis on any side of a conflict. The society has an e-commerce platform to donate and purchase preloved items. Items sold include; books, music items, jewelry, clothes, kitchenware, cutlery, etc.
Their high street charity shops sell several preloved item categories for sale which are sorted from donations by staff and volunteers. There are books, children’s items, clothes, and fashion accessories from Chanel, Gucci, and Dior at affordable prices, furniture, and electrical devices that can be useful to new owners.
The British Red Cross charity has an online shop as an eBay store, on ASOS Marketplace, and their own website. All money made from sales is used to provide relief and support to different causes.
● TRAID
Traid shop, King Street, Hammersmith.
Edward Hands, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
TRAID Dalston, UK, is a Charity organization with it’s registered office in england and wales and northern ireland that has dedicated itself to reducing fashion waste in the UK by accepting pre loved donations across various high street local shops during opening hours that sell vintage and preloved³ items and friendly prices and use the proceeds to support research and efforts combating the effects of fast fashion on the environment. Traid shops are among the largest charity shops in the UK and have minimalist decor and user friendly fitting rooms. You can go to the Traid website to find your local Traid store
TRAID identifies three main goals which include; prepping clothes for reuse, improving working conditions and trade practices in the fashion industry, and educating the general public about the downsides of fast fashion clothing waste.
● FARA Charity Shop
FARA Charity Shop’s mission is based in the UK and Romania, targeting vulnerable youths, children, and poor families. In 26 vibrant communities of London, they have 40 high street charity shops that receive donations of various items during opening hours and are processed by staff and volunteers. The funds raised from local shop sales are sent to charity to help youths and families. Disadvantaged children, vulnerable children, and poor families are the target of their programs.
Their online charity shop provides a catalog of available items for second-hand shopping. These donated items are placed up for sale and used to help the organization’s fund our life charitable plans. Clothes, books, cooking ware, accessories, retro items,
In September alone, the group had provided aid to 1,700 Ukrainian families and sought to do more with the profits raised from second-hand sales.
● Save The Children
Save The Children, Paris Street, Exeter.
Roger A Smith / Save The Children, Paris Street, Exeter.
Also known as Mary’s Living and Giving, this charity company limited by guarantee with a registered office in england and wales is an organization dedicated to improving the lives of children. Their physical store is situated at Portobello road, and they indulge in sustainable pre loved fashion to create funds for aiding child-oriented programs. Save the children takes it’s stock from people donating items during opening hours, notable figures, and companies to resell at second-hand value in their online shop.
Their income funds child learning and development in different places worldwide. Their online charity shops sell a range of vintage designer⁴ products donated by notable figures that rivals those found that can be found on an ebay store. High-street fashion items from designers like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Dior are some of the donated designers you’ll find.
References
[i] https://www.blue17.co.uk/vintage-blog/what-have-been-your-best-thrift-store-finds/
[ii] https://www.blue17.co.uk/vintage-blog/what-are-the-best-charity-shops-in-the-uk/
[iii] https://www.blue17.co.uk/vintage-blog/where-to-buy-cheap-second-hand-clothes-online/
[iv] https://www.blue17.co.uk/vintage-blog/where-to-buy-designer-vintage-clothing-online/
