Charity shops have reopened! I'm so happy!

    Hello Lovelies.

    I am so excited to see that Charity shops have reopened after 5 long months of lockdown.  I just love a good charity shop. It's so easy to pop in to look at the books only to come out with 3 new outfits and a whole dinner set. 

    Charity shops are a relatively new thing, and there is still a taboo surrounding going into one. And to some degree, I understand where people are coming from. I mean, who would want to wear a dead person's clothes?  Back in the day, in the early '80s, these shops were few and far between, and jumble sales were all the thing. Many times as a child I would rock up to school or youth group wearing at least one item of clothing that a peer had donated at the school or church, once a year mega jumble sale. And I spend the rest of the day completely humiliated, wishing that my single mum would, for once, buy me something new. But she didn't. 

    Now there is a plethora of charity shops, all raising money for some fantastic charities like Cancer Research. Oxfam, British Heart Foundation to name but a few. And the whole 'dead person's clothes' is just a misnomer. 99% of clothes donated are just items that people have bought, bearly or never worn, just wanting to get rid of it to make space for something new.  

    Then, of course, on entering a Charity shop, there is always that funky, 'Charity Shop' smell. I know that it puts people off. But not me. Any items of clothing I buy just goes straight into the washing machine. There, problem solved. And the smell is a very small price to pay for finding that one gem sitting on the rail, all waiting for you to buy. 

   Then, what if, and this is the biggest fear with Charity Shops, what if someone you know sees you going inside! What do you say? Will you forever be labelled as that 'poor' person? Absolutely not! For one thing, you probably just walked in right before they did. You'd be amazed by the amount of people who actually shop in Charity shops. Rich people, poor people, trendy millennials. Bored people. People looking for that special something. Honestly, most people you know have shopped or regularly shop in charity shops, they just don't talk about it. 

    Well, I think they're great. And we could solve a lot of problems if more people spent more time in Charity Shops and less time spending their money on large high street chains. 

    And how will shopping in Charity shops help in any way, I hear you say?

    Charity shops sell their items, usually, at an incredibly low price. They want to make money, for sure, but they also know that these are just things, there is no point charing the earth. Reaching out and spreading the word about their charity is their main goal. Pretty cool, huh!

    Charity shops have a large volunteer workforce. People who need to get out there and help. These shops are not just places to go and donate or buy, many of these shops are like a little social hub. Honestly. Go inside one and just listen. There are the regulars. The forgotten among us. The vulnerable, the lonely, the elderly. All those people can reach out, connect and help. I think that's amazing.     

    With Charity shops, we can 'reuse' an item, stopping it from being dumped in a landfill. Therefore saving the environment. Charity shops make money for many desperately in need charities. Governments fund some research, but by no means enough, and who picks up the rest? Yep, you guessed it!  

      I believe that charity shops are a great way to get out, find that crazy new thing that you didn't know you needed until you saw it. And help raise money for those in need. So become a Charity shop hero, donate, buy and help! 

My fantastic find. Building up my Halloween decorations stash.