England's November lockdown shut charity shops across the North East for the second time in a year which has seen Covid-19 cancel good causes' vital fundraisers like marathons and coffee mornings.
Newcastle based St Oswald's Hospice describes 2020 as the most challenging period in its 34-year history. The lockdown closure of 25 charity shops around the North East has hammered its income, while coronavirus cancellations of events like the Great North Run have had an impact too.
Anita Ball, Director of Income & Marketing at St Oswald’s, said: “The past year has been the most challenging in the 34-year history of St Oswald’s. Having to close our 25 regional charity shops for large parts of the year was extremely tough for us as we hugely miss not being in our communities and seeing our customers and supporters. The knock-on effect of not being able to raise money to pay for all the critical services we provide at St Oswald’s has hit us hard too."
Christmas is a crucial fundraising opportunity for charity shops, as they sell Christmas cards, as well as gift ideas.
But even with charity shops closed there are ways to support them. St Oswald's has launched an online shop on Depop, which specialises in quirky and vintage products, along with Facebook and Instagram accounts dedicated to the charity's retail arm.
Anita said: "We’ll be using the pages to promote and sell a wide range of products including clothing, furniture, homeware, bric-a-brac, and much more."
Charities including St Oswald's remain committed to reopening their shops as soon as they can, once the lockdown is lifted.
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Anita added: "The future for St Oswald’s is very much focused on re-opening our shops again so we can continue to be part of our local communities, but with a renewed focus on growing our online shops and services.
"It’s never been easier for people to support us from the comfort of their own homes and we’ve had a fantastic response to our online platforms. Despite the uncertain times, we’re working hard to provide a normal a service as possible and bring some fantastic products and bargains to our loyal and generous supporters."
Head to www.stoswaldsuk.org/donate to make a cash donation.
Are charity shops open in lockdown?
No. As "non-essential" retail, charity shops across England are closed during November, due to the coronavirus lockdown.
The lockdown is set to end on Wednesday December 2, as things stand, although there is a chance it could be extended if the coronavirus rate does not drop enough.
When will charity shops reopen?
Charity shops will be allowed to reopen once the lockdown is lifted, so expect them to start doing so from Thursday December 3.
St Oswald's, British Heart Foundation, Oxfam and Cats Protection are among the charities which have indicated they will seek to reopen their stores as early as possible.
Are there online charity shops for clothes, Christmas cards and furniture?
Yes, many charities have opened online stores.
In the North East, St Oswald's is selling online through eBay. Christmas cards are available to order on St Oswald's online store while vintage fashion can be bought on its Depop page. St Oswald's is also using Facebook and Instagram to promote clothes, furniture and homeware it has for sale.
British Heart Foundation also has an eBay store, while Christmas gifts, accessories and cards are available from its online shop .
Oxfam is selling books, clothing, Christmas cards and its ethical sourced by Oxfam range through its website.
Cats Protection's online store offers gifts including 2021 cat calendars, available here.
Can I donate things like clothes, furniture and books to charity shops during lockdown?
For now, the best way to support charity shops is to buy from them online. Don't drop off items at charity shop door steps, as they are shut.
British Heart Foundation is asking item donors to hold off or send smaller items using its freepost service.
Jane Flannery, Regional Director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “In line with the latest Government announcement, our shops across England will remain closed until Thursday December 3.
“We’re extremely grateful to the people of Newcastle for their continued support, but would ask those with donations to hold on to them until we re-open rather than leave them outside our shops.
"Alternatively, smaller items can be sent using our freepost service. Every item we sell helps raise vital funds to support the 7.4 million people in the UK living with heart and circulatory diseases.
“The charity sector has been hit especially hard by the pandemic and we expect our fundraising income to be cut in half this year alone. But there are still ways you can support us during lockdown.
"Our eBay store remains open, offering a range of quality preloved items, while our online shop is the ideal place to find Christmas cards, accessories and gifts for the festive season.”
You can also donate clothes through clothing banks.
Peter Haden, Oxfam Chief Supporter Officer, said: “The lead up to Christmas is our busiest trading period, raising much-needed funds for Oxfam’s work fighting poverty. The closure of high street stores will put sales at risk, although we will recoup a significant proportion of this by driving our online offer, keeping a tight control of costs and asking some of our shop staff to go on furlough.
"Measures put in place since the previous lockdown mean that we will be able to safely keep our online shop open and continue to accept donations through clothing banks. Unfortunately, we will not be able to accept donations through our shops so we are asking people, where possible to hang on to homewares, books and other items until we are able to reopen.
“If you would normally visit your local shop – and want to support our work fighting poverty and saving lives – please go online instead and choose your Christmas cards and gifts such as books, clothing and our ethical and Sourced by Oxfam range. People can also support their local branch by signing up to volunteer as soon as shops reopen. With many volunteers still shielding, hands-on deck are needed more than ever."
To register an interest in volunteering for an Oxfam shop, head here.
Ian Trotter, Area Retail Manager for Cats Protection said: "We will be opening the Newcastle Cats Protection shop on December 3 and will be doing so under new management, which we are very excited about.
"The pandemic and lockdowns have obviously had an impact, with the loss of income key for retailers, but we have also lost donations during this period from our loyal donor base. Also, our volunteers have not been able to volunteer due to the store closure, and we fear it may result in losing them completely, although we are staying in contact regularly to try to avoid this.
"Unfortunately, we aren’t able to accept donations as the shop remains closed but will be grateful for all donations as soon as we reopen."
