Words by Smiley Team
Charity shops could be vital to the UK’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic by helping people save money, shop sustainably and fund charitable services, according to new insight from the British Heart Foundation.
The survey shows that almost one in three UK adults (29%) feel that charity shops are more important to society following Covid-19, while four in ten (40%) agree that being sustainable and thinking about the environment when they shop is more important than before.
Of those who think charity shops will be more important for society, almost three quarters said this was because charity shops provide affordable items to those with financial concerns whilst Almost seven in ten (68%) say it’s because they raise funds for charitable causes at a time many of these causes are in high demand.
Waste was also a key concern with olver half saying charity shops are vital because they prevent items from being thrown away.
The figures also suggest that charity shops could be particularly beneficial for younger people conscious of costs and the environment. Almost a fifth (19%) of respondents aged 25-34 said they will be more likely to shop in charity shops after the pandemic than before, compared to only 6% of respondents aged 55+.
Last year alone, thanks to the generosity of public donations to British Heart Foundation shops, we charity was able to help reuse an incredible 71,000 tonnes of items and prevent 135,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions from being released into the atmosphere.
Allison Swaine-Hughes, our Retail Director commented: “This pandemic has been devastating for so many of us and the reopening of charity shops is going to be vital for millions as we look to recover. Charity shops provide high quality items at affordable prices, power charitable services that have never been more in demand, reuse thousands of tonnes of items and provide a community space for so many volunteers and customers.”
“Every pound raised in our shops helps us to 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. Shopping at the BHF will help us, help them.”
At the end of March, the charity was forced to shut 750 nationwide shops in order to protect staff, volunteers and customers. Since that time, the charity’s funding budget has been reduced by £50 million pounds meaning research into heart and circulatory disease cannot be performed.
Visiting your local BHF or donating to the charity is one way to ensure this life-saving research is able to continue. You can find out more at https://www.bhf.org.uk/
