Charity Shops in the UK are small shops which sell a variety of items donated by the public and the money made helps that charity to continue its valuable work. Charity shops are usually run by volunteers, people giving their time voluntarily to help the charity. Shopping in charity shops has many benefits, for the charity, and for the shopper! I like buying things in charity shops for many reasons which I am going to share with you.
Firstly, items sold in charity shops are generally a lot cheaper than in high street stores. Yes, this is because they are used, but, having volunteered in a charity shop myself, I know that only really good quality items get put out to sell to the public. You can always find a bargain in a charity shop, from a new top to a pair of shoes, a handbag to a piece of jewellery.
Secondly, if a charity shop has a lot of donations coming in, they generally change the stock on a daily basis, which means that there is always a variety of items to choose from. I’m always impressed that I can go into the same charity shop two days in a row and some of the stock will have been changed.
Thirdly, you can find interesting treasures in charity shops. Especially when it comes to bric-a-brac items. There was once a very old fashioned sewing machine donated to the charity shop I volunteered in, and it was worth quite a bit of money, but it was sold the same day for five pounds! You will be very surprised with what you can find.
Finally, knowing that the money you are spending in charity shops is going to a good cause is a great reason to shop there. There are many charities in the UK which rely on charity shops to fund what they do. The main ones in the UK are Sue Ryder Care which need money to keep their homes open, Cancer Research UK, the RSPCA and Oxfam.
I would recommend shopping in charity shops, even very occasionally, because you never know how big a difference buying one small thing might make!
Are there any charity shops in your country? Have you ever bought anything second-hand?
