Charity shops in Bath are finding their way back to a ‘new normal’ after a three months absence.
Max Dibden, manager of the Oxfam shop
Allison Swaine-Hughes, Retail Director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “We’re hugely grateful for the number of donations we’ve already received from the public since reopening a small number of our BHF shops.
“Our new contact-free donation points at the entrance of stores have been a big hit. One shop received more than 100 bags of donations before lunchtime on the first day of opening, and more than double what they’d receive on a normal weekday.”
She added: “Our charity shops run purely on the kind support of the public, which is why we never take for granted a camera, record or video game that’s donated to us.
“Every item we sell helps support the 7.4 million people in the UK living with heart and circulatory diseases, many of whom are at increased risk from Covid-19.”
Max Dibden, manager of the Oxfam shop on Argyle Street, who has been with the charity for over 25 years, said: “We are so grateful for the massive amount of donations we are receiving from the public.
“A lot of people have taken the opportunity to have a good clear-out over the past three months and we appreciate their generosity.
“We have had to restrict donation days to certain times though, to allow us to process items and ensure they have gone through the required quarantine period before we can sell them.
“It’s so good to be back and doing what we love and providing support for those who need it.
“Understandably, people are a little more cautious, but I would like to reassure them that we have all safety precautions in place, from hand sanitising on your way into the store, to social distancing and allotted numbers in at any given time.”
In June of this year, the BHF launched a new, free, postal initiative where customers can donate smaller items via post: “This makes it even easier for the public to give their decluttered items and support the charity to help save lives,” said Allison Swaine-Hughes.
“This has proved hugely popular and these items will be sold either online via the charity’s E-Bay Store or at a BHF shop.
“Customers can simply head to the webpage, request a freepost label which will be emailed to them and then choose to either print the label off or bring the email in to one of 7,500 nationwide collect and drop off points to be printed off there. Packages can be up to 10kg. All donations are rested for 72 hours before being placed on sale.
“Just £16 worth of your donations can support an early career scientist in carrying out an hour’s research and £25 gives a researcher an hour’s access to equipment.
“If your donations raised £100, this would fund a DNA extraction kit to identify genes linked to heart and circulatory diseases.”
Karen James, Store Manager of Barnardo’s on Shaftsbury Road, which opened its doors again on 15th July, said: “We very much enjoyed welcoming customers back into our Bath shop.
“We have new safety measures implemented to keep everyone safe. This includes plastic screens at till points, hand sanitiser stations at the entrance of the store, restricted customer numbers and social distancing requirements.
“We have provided safety packs for staff, including aprons, gloves, additional cleaning products etc.
“We have had to keep the changing rooms closed. We are also asking that customers please pay by contactless where possible.
“We are going to assess donations on a daily basis and it is advisable to call the shop first to see what we are able to accept.
“Safety measures are also in place to manage donations, which is a quarantine period of 72 hours.
“We want everyone to benefit from the quality pre-loved items people are kindly donating to us, so please come and visit our lovely store. We are currently looking for volunteers which are much needed to help out in-store.
“This is a great way to help vulnerable children and build your skills. If you want further information, please call the shop on 01225 330339.”
Charities across Bath are very much in need of bric-a-brac, homewares, records, video games, shoes in good condition, collectable items such as coins and stamps, jewellery, ornaments, cameras, toys.
“Anything you might have discovered in your attic or shed we can find a new home for,” Mr Dibden added.
Cheryl Hughes, Community Reporter
