Page 13 - PIC Magazine Spring Issue 20

A combination of robust levels of reserves, making
use of government-funded schemes and prudent stewardship from our senior leadership team and board of trustees has seen us through the most difficult of times, but the challenges are not over.
Although our charity shops are open again, there is a lingering impact from the pandemic as well as the more recent cost of living pressures. You may think that the current squeeze on household finances would be a positive for charity shops as more people take a frugal approach, and in some ways, you would be right –
we have seen an increase in footfall to our shops over the last six months.
However, this has been accompanied by a 10 per cent drop in donations creating a gap in available stock for us to sell.
The reasons for this drop in donations are not completely clear. Did more of us have a clear out during lockdown as we sought to use our time indoors productively? Perhaps this was exacerbated by the growth in video meetings, and the thought of our clutter being paraded in front of colleagues galvanised us into action. And now, two years on, the corresponding lull in donations is because big clear outs happened 18 months ago.
Or perhaps we are holding onto our clothes for longer; the usual conveyor of new clothes coming into our wardrobes and clearing out of the old may have slowed due to us having less to spend on fashion.
We have also witnessed the growth in new apps and adverts encouraging us to sell our second-hand clothes online. Again, unsurprising given the household squeeze.
Whatever the factors, it has led to our charity shops issuing an urgent appeal for donations as they
are struggling to fill their shelves. All of our shops desperately need quality clothing and bric-a-brac to help us to continue improving life after brain injury.
Jen Murgatroyd, Headway’s Director of Fundraising, said:
“We have seen a 10 per cent decline in donations across Headway’s charity shops in the last six months, which we believe could be as a result of the cost-of-living crisis.
The money raised frfrom sales in our charity shops goes a long way towards ensuring vital care remains in place for those affected by brain injury. So please think of Headway if you are having a spring clean; we’d be so grateful for your support.
“10 per cent is a massive drop in donations, and the impact on our shops is huge. We are also seeing a six per cent increase in customers coming through our doors, so we urgently need help to keep up with that demand.
“As well as continued support from the general public, we’d like to ask people to think about who they know and could ask to get involved with donations. Is your organisation looking for a new charity of the year partnership? Could you hold one of our clothing banks in your place of work, local community centre, place of worship, or school?”
We’d love to hear from anyone who could support us with more donations to our Headway charity shops in this urgent time of need.”
Headway UK Beeston Shop Manager Jeannette Nadin said: “Every year, around 350,000 people are admitted to hospital with a brain injury. That’s one every 90 seconds. The money raised from sales in our charity shops goes a long way towards ensuring vital care remains in place for those affected by brain injury. So please think of Headway if you are having a spring clean; we’d be so grateful for your support.”
You can find your local shop at: headway.org.uk/charity-shops
If you’re a business or a local group who’d like to donate items to support Headway’s charity shops, please email Jen Murgatroyd at dof@headway.org.uk.
www.pic.legal Spring 2023
PARTNERS IN COSTS
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