New St Christpher's Shop

[Alec John Moore]

It must be a reasonable business proposition if they are expanding into bigger premises up the road. I'm sure charities get preferential terms on business rates etc. The shop acts as a collection point and sorting/sifting function as well as a sales outlet. Charity shops must be primarily fundraising functions so they would want to maximise the proceeds from selling donations but it's interesting to speculate on how low quality stock in the shop might have a negative effect on donations.

[dazeykat]

I used pop in to St C's current shop whenever passing & found nice/interesting things to buy from time to time, but the last few months there's been nothing, so stopped going in much. I assumed it was down to the recession, but perhaps they have been keeping things to stock the new shop?

[peterstorm1985]

Alec John Moore Wrote:

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> It must be a reasonable business proposition if

> they are expanding into bigger premises up the

> road. I'm sure charities get preferential terms on

> business rates etc.

The reduction in rates is so significant (min 80% reduction, discretionary to 100%) that an owner of a shop may offer a charity rent free use if they are having trouble finding a commercial tenant after the standard rate free period for a property that has become empty. There has been some discussion of this in the press recently as charity shops have been popping up in high numbers. Previously owners of low rateable value properties were able to have rate relief if their shop was empty but the threshold for this relief has changed.

[brightspark]

Lets hope the new shop has better trained staff. Thursday to Sunday at the hospice shop they can be rude, selective on who they are nice to. Those bringing donations are put through the rigger of looking at your donations, even taking some out and then saying the rest is not good enough. You have to accept donations or not don't filter them on the spot in front of customers. There also seems to be a different pricing on these days lack of communication with the other manager or just a disregard for her. Every weekend I hear fractured voices and unhappy donators not how a charity shop should be. Is a shame as the hospice is such a good cause but they are let down at times by actions of people representing them. I have also witnessed very poor treatment of a volunteer (the Spanish lady)by manager on the weekend.

[Lou]

They must get rent reduction. I rang the estate agents pretty soon after the sign went up and was told it was under offer and that the rent was 65k a year...

http://www.lcg.uk.com/

[Earl Aelfheah]

ken cat Wrote:

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> yeah or estate agents , 13 at last count !!

I counted 14

[Pugwash]

I went in the old St. Chris Shop once and the place was crowded and items a bit tatty.When my mother in law died, I took a couple of sacks of good clothing, hardly worn to the shop and was told that they were not accepting donations as they had too much stuff to sift through. I ended up talking them to the MIND shop and one other shop in Beckenham.

Eldest daughter buys all her clothes in a charity shop in Petts Wood - she gets good stuff there for less than a fiver - some of it Monsoon and Next

[elliescott]

The mind shop is so overpriced. They sell Primark stuff at a higher price than Primark do!

[brightspark]

For those who find the other priced Mind shop and the Hospice refusing to take take your toy donations or being to choosy on what they accept as a donation. The charity Shops in Peckham Scope and Sense are not so fussy. The Walworth Road shops

especially Salvation Army will accept all donations. A little further to go but are far more happy to receive.

[dukesdenver]

brightspark Wrote:

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> The Walworth Road

> shops

> especially Salvation Army will accept all

> donations. A little further to go but are far

> more happy to receive.

Seconded, I often take stuff to the Trinity Hospice shop on Walworth Road. The lady who runs it is lovely (and the book selection is huge and very cheap if you like that sort of thing).

[Sue]

dukesdenver Wrote:

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>

> Seconded, I often take stuff to the Trinity

> Hospice shop on Walworth Road. The lady who runs

> it is lovely

xxxxxxx

You can also take any amount of stuff to Trinity Hospice directly. Bit further to go (Clapham Common) but you can park in their carpark no problem.

[flocker spotter]

I hope that the new Hospice shop provides some staff training so that their cantankerous volunteers will help the charity raise funds rather than give donations away.

I too have trudged down there with good quality saleable items only to be refused at the counter. I felt quite affronted, but also very sorry for the charity itself that had just missed out on making a possible ?50.

What is the point in volunteering in a hospice shop if you don't help the charity make money??

[Sue]

flocker spotter Wrote:

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> I too have trudged down there with good quality

> saleable items only to be refused at the counter.

> I felt quite affronted, but also very sorry for

> the charity itself that had just missed out on

> making a possible ?50.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Same here. They told me there was a notice in the window stating that they weren't taking goods, but the notice consisted of a large sheet of paper containing closely spaced type, as in a letter - who would stop and read that?!

Afraid I lost my temper and shouted at them :-$ Wasn't going to lug it all back home again (I was on foot) and dumped it by a bin. Wasn't there when next I passed so hope someone could make use of it. Haven't dared go back in the shop since in case they recognise me as The Shouting Woman :))

[louisiana]

Another option would be to take stuff to the Dulwich Going Greener Give & Take event on Saturday 5 March.

At: Francis Peek Centre, in Dulwich Park near the car park.

Times: 11-3pm

Give & Take can accept small electricals too (there will be a tester on site).

Anything not taken by someone else goes to charity!

(Will post full details to Events section tomorrow.)

[Huggers]

RSPCA in Norwood high street are always very grateful. Also i found the loveliest hospice charity shop near Greenwich railway station- the ladies kept the shop open past closing time while my daughter and friend tried on everything.

[Sue]

louisiana Wrote:

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> Another option would be to take stuff to the

> Dulwich Going Greener Give & Take event on

> Saturday 5 March.

>

xxxxxxxx

These are a great idea - I've been to a couple in Oxford with my daughter, both giving and taking.

They weigh stuff on the way out to see how much has avoided going to landfill.

My daughter once got a lovely cupboard :)

Good for the environment, but not for charity, however.

[brightspark]

In another area I saw a notice in the window of a charity all donations accepted/none refused. Admittedly it bigger than the Hospice Shop. Refusing donations causes stress and grief to the customer as well as the staff. The Hospice should have stored this problem from day one. Then it would be environmental of happy smiles ;) this shop.

[Sue]

brightspark Wrote:

-The Hospice

> should have stored this problem from day one.

>

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Maybe they did and that's why they've got no storage space for donations.

Sorry :-$

[mikese22]

As I always walk to the charity shops when donating, I always take items that fit in carrier bags firt, thatwyif they are no accepting you can always fit them in the textiles bin outside the Mind shop (I did check - it's not just go textiles!) - if they are receivin then come back with more stuff later!

[clare]

I am dismayed by some of the carping on this thread. I went into the hospice shop yesterday and the staff there are feeling very undermined and upset by some of the personal comments that have been made.

Pleases leave them alone. Donate your things ( or don't) and help raise money for one of the most worthwhile charities you can support. Why not offer to volunteer at the new shop ? Or make a cash donation or do some fund raising ???

It'd getting very dispiriting reading the forum sometimes.

Undermining shop workers, schools, local businesses.....

Times are getting tough out there. Let's not make it worse by being mean spirited.

[kford]

Well, they've always been pleasant and cheerful and grateful when I've taken stuff - and I turn up with giant laundry bags full. Hope that redresses the balance of comments a bit.

[hellokiran]

The shop has only just opened and he staff are mostly just volunteers who are actually trying to help out the community! Give it a chance!

[david_carnell]

Nor are charity shops just somewhere to dump your unwanted junk.

If the take crap in, don't be surprised if they are less than welcoming. You can't have it both ways where you want to have great quality, cheap items to buy but want them to accept any old tat you drop off.

Good luck to the Hospice and its staff.

[leon parker]

The problem is not weather the staff are happy to accept or not it is when they can not do due to size of shop this what can cause confrontations. Accepting crap donations is part of the job many other charity shops accept them and get on with the job. The TV show with Mary 'The Queen Of Charity Shops' showed a large wheelie council bin for the those type of donations which one shop used (Mind has one). It is the over management of the shop that has caused this problem by not providing system that enables the shop to accept all within reason (not the week?s garbage). It has as far I have seen been this situation for many years which has not been fair on the volunteers. What rubbish disposal system which is in place could not always keep up with the volume.

If you have a thought to give to charity then lugged heavy bags down the road and arrive at the shop

then you are told no! It would make most people unhappy and frustrated as they had a thought of doing good. No matter what your view of the kind of donations it would work better if you just say thank you and accept. The customer leaves feeling happy and you have done your part as shop staff by being able to accept. With the new shop on its way this might help but this is by chance rather than the Hospice dealing with donation issue.

Many occasions the shop had to close lose revenue because there was no room store stuff let alone accept. Those of you have been thwarted when trying to donate please remember it is not safe for staff and volunteers to work if there are too many donations.

The simple answer was if the shop was able to accept all, then we would not be here writing on this forum.

The toy issue is a problem even the Mind shop with bigger space has stopped taking them. A recycling point in East Dulwich would be a good idea but it will need someone from the Big Society to step in?

[mikese22]

Don't forget though that charity shops like any other commercial operation have to pay for their waste to be removed - so just saying thank you and accepting any old tat actually results in a cost to organisation

leon parker Wrote:

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> The problem is not weather the staff are happy to

> accept or not it is when they can not do due to

> size of shop this what can cause confrontations.

> Accepting crap donations is part of the job many

> other charity shops accept them and get on with

> the job. The TV show with Mary 'The Queen Of

> Charity Shops' showed a large wheelie council bin

> for the those type of donations which one shop

> used (Mind has one). It is the over management of

> the shop that has caused this problem by not

> providing system that enables the shop to accept

> all within reason (not the week?s garbage). It

> has as far I have seen been this situation for

> many years which has not been fair on the

> volunteers. What rubbish disposal system which is

> in place could not always keep up with the volume.

>

>

>

> If you have a thought to give to charity then

> lugged heavy bags down the road and arrive at the

> shop

> then you are told no! It would make most people

> unhappy and frustrated as they had a thought of

> doing good. No matter what your view of the kind

> of donations it would work better if you just say

> thank you and accept. The customer leaves feeling

> happy and you have done your part as shop staff by

> being able to accept. With the new shop on its

> way this might help but this is by chance rather

> than the Hospice dealing with donation issue.

>

> Many occasions the shop had to close lose

> revenue because there was no room store stuff let

> alone accept. Those of you have been thwarted

> when trying to donate please remember it is not

> safe for staff and volunteers to work if there are

> too many donations.

>

> The simple answer was if the shop was able to

> accept all, then we would not be here writing on

> this forum.

>

> The toy issue is a problem even the Mind shop with

> bigger space has stopped taking them. A recycling

> point in East Dulwich would be a good idea but it

> will need someone from the Big Society to step in?