Category Archives: Charity & CSR

Charity & CSR, Marketing, PR and SEO, News

Dragon’s Den-style initiative launches offering Shropshire charities the chance to win free marketing worth £10,000

Midlands-based marketing agency, Reech, has announced the launch of its ‘Reech & Reward’ initiative for 2024, offering Shropshire charities the chance to win free marketing support worth £10,000.

The scheme, first created in 2022, sees local charitable organisations participate in a Dragon’s Den-style pitch to a panel of marketing experts, with one deserving winner chosen to benefit from Reech’s full-service marketing offering.

Support for the winning charity can include anything from strategy and branding advice to website and digital marketing consultancy, as well as creating video and photography content. Three shortlisted charities will also have the opportunity to secure up to £5,000 of support through 50/50 match funding*.

The launch of Reech & Award 2024 will be marked with a dedicated event on 18th April at Refresh Café at Severn Hospice, from 2pm until 3:30pm. Interested charities will have the opportunity to learn more about the application process, hear directly from past winners about how Reech & Reward has impacted their organisation and network with other charities.

In 2022, local food waste charity, Shrewsbury Food Hub, was chosen as the first winner of the scheme, receiving Reech’s support for its branding, email marketing, video and photography. Reech also helped the charity create its ‘Taste Not Waste’ campaign, which was recently shortlisted for a coveted marketing and advertising industry award.

Last year, local boxing charity, Brightstar, was crowned winner of the competition, utilising Reech’s support to refresh its visual identity, with plans to launch a video campaign later this year capturing Brightstar’s mission for nationwide impact.

Amelia Redge, growth director at Reech, said: “We are extremely proud and excited to launch our Reech & Reward initiative for 2024.

“This is an opportunity for us to give back to the local community and celebrate the amazing work charities are doing across Shropshire. The competition has already had a tremendous impact locally since being unveiled in 2022, and we can’t wait to see the proposals for this year.”

Once the winning charity for 2024 has been selected, they will be invited to participate in a ‘discovery workshop’ with the Reech team, to identify their key challenges and determine the marketing support they will benefit from the most. Reech will then devise a bespoke roadmap to achieve their goals.

For more information, visit: www.reech.agency/reech-and-reward-2024

* Additional benefits for the main winner will be disclosed at the launch event. Reech will match fund up to £10,000, allowing a total of £5,000 of support to be secured for shortlisted charities.

Charity, Charity & CSR, Law, News

Charities Missing Out on Millions in Historic Legacy Bequests

INHERITANCE RECOVERY SPECIALIST PERANE’S INNOVATIVE NEW SEARCH ENGINE IDENTIFIES DORMANT LEGACIES MISSED BY ORIGINAL EXECUTORS

 

Inheritance recovery specialists, Perane, have warned that charities are missing out on millions of pounds in legacy bequests which were overlooked by the original executors.

In the past 18 months alone, two well known UK charities have received £125,000 each through the repatriation of legacy gifts, thanks to the detailed work of sector specialists Perane.

Dozens of other charitable organisations have received smaller amounts in recent months, with more than £700,000 repatriated.

The total so far identified for charities by Perane is £1,816,647 which, it is almost certain, would never have been located by the organisations themselves.

You can see a full breakdown of the funds so far located and repatriated to charities on Perane’s website.

 

The company is urgently seeking to work with all of the organisations for whom funds have been identified to recover the money rightly owed to charities, large and small.

Perane works to identify and trace historic legacies that may have been missed by the original executors.

Through a newly developed in-house search engine, and as part of the process of searching for unclaimed assets, Perane has already repatriated £743,581 that has been left to charities as part of the residual funds in wills.

 

Perane CEO Bruce Cane says: “Many charities are unaware that these funds have been left to them and without Perane’s search engine it is doubtful that the money would ever be repatriated.

“Residual estates can be very valuable as they have not been subject to inflationary pressures. In these cash-straitened days, the value of such legacies can make a real difference to the ongoing work of every charity.”

 

Through its proprietary search engine, developed over the past two years, Perane has exclusive access to previously inaccessible databases and carries out searches into historic probates to locate dormant assets and repatriate the funds.

Cane adds: “Many charities rely upon the executor getting in touch with them and are concerned that a more proactive approach would create a predatory perception. For Perane to repatriate the funds, however, the charities have to legally work with us to do so. Those that do are literally quids in, financially.

“While no-one wants to see the harassment of the recently bereaved, these are all historic cases where the executor has missed a legacy and we are repatriating disbursements, which are currently dormant, to the charities to whom they were bequeathed.”

 

A new legal opinion for Perane by Stephen Hackett of 3 Hare Court concludes that the role of the executor continues for life and that he/she may be personally liable if they fail to fulfil their obligations to disburse the estate in line with the expressed wishes of the deceased.” You can read the full opinion here.

 

Cane concludes: “Many people leave residual amounts to charity in their wills and professional executors have a legal obligation to disburse the estate funds according to the expressed wishes of the deceased.

“However, where shares make up a proportion of the value of the estate, it may be the case that the original share certificates have been lost or those that held them moved residence and the executor has incorrect contact details, or the organisation or individual is unaware they are a beneficiary, making it difficult to complete a full picture of the estate.

“Perane is very proud of being able to repatriate these funds to the rightful owners and to enable charities to continue their great work.”

 

If your organisation would like to work with Perane to legally repatriate legacy funds, please contact: 01603 673260 or email info@perane.co.uk.

Charity & CSR, Charity News, News, Recruitment News

Health Company Cygnet Joins Tent UK

Cygnet has joined Tent UK, a new coalition of 70 major companies that are committed to helping refugees become job ready and secure employment in the UK.

Cygnet has been a longstanding member of the Tent Partnership for Refugees – a global network of companies committed to helping refugees access labour markets. To date, Cygnet has hired over 300 refugees and where appropriate has provided tailored training opportunities to support their career development.

Other companies joining the coalition include the likes of Amazon, Deloitte, McDonalds, Microsoft and Virgin.

Ben Hopewell, Head of Resourcing at Cygnet said: “Tent is an organisation that supports individuals in the UK who are under a refugee status in finding work, whether that be in their previous profession or a new career. We’re extremely excited to be partnering with them, to provide opportunities to skilled individuals, expand our talent pools and develop our knowledge and understanding around refugees within the UK.”

In recent years, the UK has welcomed more than 500,000 refugees with approximately half hailing from Ukraine and the remaining half from Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Syria, and elsewhere – yet many have been unable to find formal employment. While they have the legal right to work, refugees are over 20% less likely to be employed than Brits, with this gap widening to 30% for refugee women, according to the UK government.

At the same time, the UK is experiencing labour shortages, with almost one million job vacancies, across key industries such as hospitality, food service and others including manufacturing & healthcare.

“At a moment when UK employers face significant labour shortages, yet refugees across the country struggle to find decent employment, we see an extraordinary opportunity for our work,” said Gideon Maltz, CEO of Tent. “The coalition of companies that has come together to launch Tent UK understands that we need to act at scale to help hundreds of thousands of refugees in the UK secure jobs, rebuild their lives, and integrate into their new communities. Tent is uniquely placed and ready to help companies develop ambitious programmes to include refugees.”

“Tent is immensely proud to have brought together 70 leading businesses resolved to connect refugees to meaningful employment,” said Jen Stobart, UK Director at Tent.

“Refugees face numerous barriers to formal employment, such as lower language proficiency, transportation issues, lack of childcare options, as well as a lack of social and professional networks. These hurdles require particular attention from businesses, who – by making small upfront investments and tailoring their hiring practices – can level the playing field and give a fair chance to the many refugees still looking for a job in the UK.”

Tent UK will offer participating companies a host of services free of charge including: resources and trainings for HR teams; the sharing of best practices and ideas distilled from Tent’s global network of over 400 major companies across a dozen countries who are hiring and integrating refugees into their workforces, as well as tailored programmes and insights to the UK market context; regular convenings and workshops with other Tent UK member companies for peer-to-peer learning; and introductions to best-in-class partners across the UK that can source refugee talent based on the type of roles, the location, and their past performance.

Charity, Charity & CSR, News

Peoplesafe partners with the Suzy Lamplugh Trust

Safety technology provider, Peoplesafe, has extended its partnership with the UK’s pioneering personal safety charity and leading stalking authority, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust. Combining a wealth of expertise, the partnership will offer an ongoing holistic service to organisations, combining expert advice on personal safety strategy – including policy creation and training – with industry-leading personal safety technology that protects people in every situation.

Working together, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust will undertake a full audit for Peoplesafe’s existing and new clients, providing them with implementation plans to help upskill and empower workforces to effectively assess, mitigate, and manage personal safety risks, while Peoplesafe will work on executing plans to ensure the right technology is used for the right situations and rolling them out at scale.

Established in 1986, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust was founded following the disappearance of 25-year-old Suzy Lamplugh, an estate agent and lone worker who went to meet a client and never returned. Suzy was never found and was legally declared dead in 1993. The Trust is widely regarded as a field expert in lone-working and personal safety training and endorses the selection and use of lone-worker technologies in line with requirements of the workforce to safeguard employees.

Working together, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust will undertake a full audit for businesses, providing them with implementation plans to help upskill and empower workforces to effectively assess, mitigate, and manage personal safety risks, while Peoplesafe will work on executing plans to ensure the right technology is used for the right situations and rolling them out at scale.

“For more than 37 years, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust has worked tirelessly to raise greater awareness of personal safety and stalking issues. Through the introduction of pioneering technology, we are excited to join forces in order to drive our shared vision, to demand systemic change and promote a society in which people are better supported and feel safer” says Naz Dossa, CEO, Peoplesafe.

“The Suzy Lamplugh Trust is delighted to continue its collaboration with Peoplesafe to support organisations in addressing lone-working and improving personal safety. We promote the use of lone worker safety technologies as part of Suzy’s Charter for Workplace Safety and look forward to working across all sectors to embed personal safety as a priority across all workplaces” says Emma Lingley-Clark, Interim CEO of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust.

To mark the partnership, Peoplesafe and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust will be hosting a joint webinar, hosted by the Women in Health & Safety group on 19th March.

Charity & CSR, South West, South West England News, Tech, Technology, Wiltshire News

Mintivo contract with Wiltshire Air Ambulance gets lift off

WILTSHIRE Air Ambulance (WAA) has signed a five year deal with Wiltshire IT services and solutions expert Mintivo to be its strategic IT partner.

The charity, which provides a lifesaving helicopter emergency medical service across Wiltshire, Bath and surrounding areas, said it was looking for a new IT partner to support its lifesaving service and that Mintivo was successful because it demonstrated a clear understanding of its needs. The Lacock company will be supporting the charity’s service with a 24/7 resilient and stable network as well as providing essential staff training.

Mintivo Commercial Director Alex Jukes said that as the Semington charity has no IT department of its own, his firm’s ability to cover every aspect of support, training and guidance on strategic development was key to its winning the contract.

“I think the key thing for them was working with a local business that aligned to their values and had expertise in the charity sector, and with the NHS,” he said.

“We’re able to provide that 24/7 capability, which is what they need because obviously they are working 365 days a year. If there is an issue with their network or systems they need to know that they’ve got a partner who is always available and understands the intricacies and nuances of how they operate, otherwise it might stop their pilots from being able to take off and at that point it could become a life or death scenario.

“So for them, it is really about having confidence in a provider with proven capability in the market, with values which align to theirs and a partner who sees them as a valuable customer.”

The charity needs to raise £4.5 million a year, the equivalent of more than £12,000 every day, to keep its Bell 429 helicopter in the air and critical care car on the road. During 2023 it was called to 1,167 missions, an average of three per day.

Mr Jukes said that as the charity is already forward thinking in its IT provision, part of Mintivo’s role will be to help it get more out of its technology to save staff time and money. “They run a slick operation generally anyway, and you’d expect them to because of that critical service element,” he said.

“From an IT point of view, they’re in a fairly good place and they just want to continue to leverage some of the technologies in their business better and maximiser their investment, particularly around Microsoft.

“A key thing for us to continually assess with our charity customers is how are we going to add value? How is technology going to allow it to do better fundraising, deliver better services? Can we create efficiencies from automation, or increase productivity through a better use of technology? Any money saved can potentially then can go back into the charity’s funds. So it’s all about using technology to gain more efficiencies.”

He said Mintivo, which was formed in 2018 and offers managed IT support, consultancy, cyber security and automation, will ensure its IT helpdesk is available online round the clock, while staff will be at the charity’s Semington base regularly to answer queries. “As with our other customers, our personal approach and attention to detail mean we are almost seen as ‘in house’ by clients,” he said.

WAA Director of Finance and Infrastructure Danielle Friend said: “When we undertook an exercise to tender for our IT services, the intention was not only to find a strategic partner who would look after the infrastructure and general IT requirements, but one who would assist in bringing innovative ideas to life. Being an IT partner is no longer about just setting up users and sending emails, especially as the Microsoft 365 applications have become such a powerful tool for change and advancement.

“We went through the tendering process as a team and Mintivo were the clear winners. We believe Mintivo will help us achieve our ambitious plans around data and automation, and very much look forward to working with them over the next five years.”

Mr Jukes said: “We are really proud to be working with a prestigious charity that is so well respected and loved across the county, and one that saves so many lives.”

Find out more about the charity at wiltshireairambulance.co.uk and about Mintivo’s services at Mintivo.co.uk.

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Pictured: Wiltshire Air Ambulance doctor Reuben Cooper, left, pilot George Williams, Mintivo  Commercial Director Alex Jukes, Service Director Jason Lovell and Operations Manager Hannah Saunders and Wiltshire Air Ambulance Finance Director Danielle Friend and Critical Care Paramedic Craig Wilkins with the charity’s Bell 429 helicopter

Pictured: Wiltshire Air Ambulance Critical Care Paramedic Craig Wilkins showing Mintivo’s team around the charity’s Bell 429 helicopter. Last year it and the charity’s critical care car were called to 1,167 missions, an average of three per day

Charity & CSR, News

B-engineering Group’s support puts Standing Tall Foundation on a high

A charity led by a former soldier who is a triple amputee has received a major boost from Warrington-based building services company B-engineering Group.

The Standing Tall Foundation in St Helens is converting a four-bedroomed terraced property in the town into a house of multiple occupation for armed forces veterans in need.

B-engineering Group is providing equipment including a boiler, bathrooms, showers and solar panels to help refurbish the house after choosing Standing Tall as one of its charities of the year and signing up to be an affiliate partner.

The company is pledging further support for the charity during the course of 2024, including undertaking fundraising.

Managing director Rob Ditchfield said: “As a company we’ve signed the Armed Forces Covenant and we like to support veterans and their families whenever we can.

“We have a number of veterans in our team, and they have all been welcome additions to the staff due to their great attitude and work ethic.

“Some of our team know Andy and he’s an inspirational person, so when the opportunity arose to support Standing Tall, it seemed a really good fit for us. We’re really pleased to be able to support the charity in its work.”

The charity, founded in 2020 by Andy and John Tabern, offers support and programmes for veterans and disadvantaged community groups to promote mental health and wellbeing. Its services include mental health counselling, addiction support, physical activity sessions and holistic therapies such as meditation, hypnotherapy and auricular acupuncture.

It also helps people with accommodation or employment needs and those in financial hardship, including the homeless, via the provision of grants, items and services.

In 2009, Andy was serving in Helmand Province in Afghanistan as a corporal in the 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment when he stood on an improvised explosive device while on patrol. He lost his legs and right arm in the blast.

Andy, who holds an MBE for his charity work, said: “It’s fantastic to receive the support from B-engineering Group, whose backing means we can provide a much-needed house in St Helens to support veterans.

“We’re delighted to have the company on board as an affiliate partner of the Standing Tall Foundation. It will be a great asset to our current partner stable, and the services it provides are invaluable for what we are trying to achieve with our accommodation.”

B-engineering Group is a family business which was founded in 1990 by Rob’s father Bernard. It employs more than 50 staff.

The company designs, installs and maintains heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, electrical and energy systems and solar PV panels in premises across sectors ranging from education, healthcare, leisure and hospitality to manufacturing, retailing, construction and nuclear. It is a specialist in decarbonising commercial properties and estates.

Under its B-Kind initiative, the company has helped numerous charities over the years by raising thousands of pounds, donating items and providing hundreds of employee hours of assistance.

Last year, it supported a range of good causes, including St Rocco’s Hospice in Warrington, sports teams and food banks.

Rob said: “We are a purpose-led business and like to do our bit to help make the world a better place.”

Charlotte Howard, senior events manager at St Rocco’s, said: “St Rocco’s Hospice is a local charity and we rely on the generosity of the Warrington community for most of our funding.

“The support from B-engineering Group during our recent Christmas Tree Collection event was invaluable. Staff gave up their time to help us collect and recycle over 2,600 trees from homes across Warrington.

“With their support, we were able to raise over £40,000 for the hospice which will go straight to caring for patients and their loved ones.”

Charity & CSR, Mental Health, News, Sport

Whitworth FC champions Mental Health support in grass roots football

Embracing the ethos of mental health awareness, Whitworth FC has made a bold statement by adorning their 1st team kit with the Kelly’s Heroes brand.

Over the last five years the charity logo has become a much-recognised symbol of Mental Health support in the Wellingborough area.  This move gives a timely reminder to players and spectators that support is available for those facing challenges with their mental health.

In addition to the fresh new kit the club has enhanced visibility around the pitch and surrounding grounds with highly visual boards, posters and bar mats and coasters with support information and links, ensuring that help is readily accessible to all who need it.

“As a local grass roots team we have potential to drive this vital service through our local communities whether playing, volunteering or spectating at the club. Mental health is as crucial as physical fitness in achieving peak performance and overall well-being for our youngsters starting out in the game right through to the adults who continue to enjoy their game.” Martin Goodes, Club Chairman of Whitworth FC. “The Kelly’s Heroes logo is a highly visual and recognised mark in Wellingborough and by prominently placing it throughout the club, we aim to ensure our players feel free to talk about their mental health and know where and how they can get any support needed.

The initiative is much more than a visual connection, directly opening up access to counselling, training and support to reduce stigma and promote self-care practices among players, coaches, families and staff.

“Both myself and family and friends have played with the club over the years, the scope for helping and supporting the community through the collaborative work we are doing together is immense.  These kinds of partnerships help us to connect directly to one of the highest risk demographics for Mental Health” said John Hewitt, Founder of Kelly’s Heroes “We’re thankful to Whitworths for steering this conversation and see it as point in an approach for working with grass roots clubs and ensuring we can raise the profile and awareness to players and families.”

To find out more about Kelly’s Heroes, and see how they can work with you to support mental Health in your team, business or community group please contact katie@kellysheroes.org.uk  or visit www.kellysheroes.org.uk

Charity & CSR, Finance and Banking, News

First Response Finance Raises Over £76k for Charity in 2023

First Response Finance, the vehicle finance company with offices in Nottingham, Leigh, and Glasgow, donated a total of £76,323.18 to charity in 2023. 

The business regularly raises money for Trussell Trust, a charity that supports a network of food banks, and Magic Breakfast, an organisation that provides children in need with nutritious breakfasts. Last year alone, First Response Finance collected an impressive £63,590.64 in aid of these two specific charities. 

An additional £12,732.54 was raised by the company’s employees, with First Response Finance’s staff donating to a wide range of charities across the country and the local community. Some of these included the British Heart Foundation, Macmillan Cancer Support, Derby County Community Trust, MNDA, Alzheimer’s Society, Guide Dogs UK, Lancashire Guinea Pig Rescue, and Roxburghe House Hospice. 

Jonathan Such, head of sales at First Response Finance, said: “We value the crucial role that charities play in supporting people from all backgrounds and walks of life. That’s why we strive to raise as much as we can during the year to help charitable organisations deliver the best care they can. 

“Quite honestly, we wouldn’t have been able to accumulate more than £76,000 over the course of 2023 without the outpouring generosity of our people. 

“Any money that our employees raise in aid of their chosen charity is matched by First Response Finance, and that same amount is given to our company charities. This means that, thanks to our matching scheme, a total of £21,624.68 was devolved to Trussell Trust and Magic Breakfast.” 

Over the year, members of staff were actively involved in additional charity work, such as participating in the Dunelm ‘Delivery Joy’ campaign, volunteering at Emmanuel House Centre, and collecting donations for Long Eaton and Sawley Foodbank. 

One team member is the chairman of Sherwood Seals Swimming Club, a special swimming club set up for disabled children and young adults. Likewise, another employee volunteers as a trustee at Guru Nanak’s Mission, a non-profit organisation providing food to the homeless, rough sleepers, and vulnerable people in Nottingham. 

Such added: “It’s heartwarming to see that colleagues across the business have a huge impact on the lives of so many. 

“To help our people in their charity efforts, we offer each employee one charity day per year, allowing them to take a day off to support a non-profit organisation of their choice. 

“We also have a ‘give as you earn’ scheme in place, where members of staff can have money donated directly from their pay to their desired charity. 

“In 2024, we will keep supporting several worthy causes and continue to devolve money to charities with the help of our people.” 

For more information about First Response Finance, visit firstresponsefinance.co.uk. 

Charity & CSR, News, South East, South East England News

Pearl Lake Country Park celebrates 25th anniversary with donation to local suicide bereavement charity

In commemoration of its 25th anniversary, Pearl Lake Country Park, based in Herefordshire, has proudly announced a charitable donation of £1,000 to Kelly’s Heroes, a Wellingborough based charity which supports those who have been bereaved by suicide.

Since its establishment in 1998, Pearl Lake Country Park, named after the 10,000-year-old glacial beauty that forms its central feature, has been committed to fostering community spirit and contributing to worthy causes. Owners Glenn and Hannah Jones have been so overwhelmed with all the support and custom they’ve received over the years, they’ve pledged to give something back to those that have helped them succeed, by way of donating £25,000 to be split between different charities to mark the 25 years since their arrival at the beauty spot.

Park owner Glenn said: “It’s hard to believe a quarter of a century has passed since we first walked through the gates as owners. It’s been an exciting and exhilarating journey and occasionally a bit overwhelming. We’ve reached an incredible milestone and are extremely proud of our success but couldn’t have done it without the support of our amazing team and the wonderful holiday homeowners and guests who make the park what it is today.”

The 100-acre park is set in a stunning location, consisting of 20 acres of ancient woodland with the largest glacial lake in Herefordshire. Since the initial purchase Pearl Lake has become award-winning and is one of three holiday parks owned and run by the Jones family. www.discoverparks.co.uk. After years of continued investment and development it now provides 5* holiday homes, self-catering accommodation, and fully serviced touring facilities to nearly 200 people, bringing valuable revenue into the area supporting local shops and restaurants and much more.

“We are honoured to mark our 25th anniversary by supporting Kelly’s Heroes, an organisation that aligns with our values and dedication to community well-being,” said Hannah, co-owner of Pearl Lake Country Park. “Two of our regular residents are close friends with John Hewitt, Co-Founder of the charity and they decided to nominate Kelly’s Heroes as one of our beneficiaries. The work they do is remarkable, and we are incredibly happy to support such a worthy cause.”

Kelly’s Heroes, known for their unwavering dedication to assisting anyone with poor mental health, has been chosen as the beneficiary for this special anniversary donation. The £1,000 contribution reflects Pearl Lake Country Park’s commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of those who have been bereaved by suicide.

Long term residents of the park, Pam George and Steve Hancox nominated Kelly’s Heroes after seeing the hard work John has put into helping and supporting those who have been bereaved by suicide. Pam said: “On the 18th of December 2018 we received the devastating news that Kelly had taken her own life. John decided to channel his grief and despair into creating a legacy for Kelly. He dedicated his time and money into starting what has now become an incredible charity helping countless people in person, and online. Kelly’s Heroes, as it is now known, has already saved many lives, and changed others.”

John Hewitt, of Kelly’s Heroes said: “The team are deeply grateful for the generous donation made. It will enable us to continue making a meaningful impact and create positive change to help those who struggle with their mental health and have been bereaved by suicide.”

To find out more about Kelly’s Heroes, visit: www.kellysheroes.org.uk

Charity & CSR, News, Retail, Retail & E-commerce

37% of Brits Shop At Charity and Thrift Stores on their Local High Street Amidst the Cost-of-living Crisis

In a recent survey of over 2,000 UK adults, Legal & General delved into the sentiments surrounding the Great British High Street—past, present, and future. With headlines spotlighting ‘the decline of the high street’ circulating, the survey raises a poignant question: Does the love for local high streets persist among Brits?

With rising concerns about the environmental and ethical costs of the shopping industry worldwide, secondhand retail has seen growing importance over recent years. In the UK, there are over 3,800 stores specialised in selling secondhand goods, according to Statista. During 2021, Statista noted sales in these stores saw a tremendous growth of 27.2 percent in value, a clear indication of increased consumer interest in the secondhand market. The popularity of charity shops has also risen more than 15 per cent in the first quarter of 2023 compared with the same period last year, according to Charity Retail’s latest research– highlighting the growing impact of secondhand shopping. We also saw some similar and interesting trends in Legal & General’s latest high street survey.

Key data:

  • Second-hand shopping is in: 37% of Brits have shopped at a charity shop in the last year and the result was more popular among women- according to 42% of women compared to 31% of men. Surprisingly, adults aged 55+ were the most common group to shop at a charity shop by 42%, closely followed by the 45-54 age group (by 38%) and 25-34 age group (33%).
  • Finding a rare find: Over a third of Brits (34%) state they shop in charity shops to find unique finds that they wouldn’t be able to find elsewhere- and for a reduced price. After all, second-hand shopping can also help save you money with 38% Brits agreeing!
  • Giving back: 31% of Brits shop at charity shops or thrift stores as they like that they are supporting important causes through their purchases.
  • Sustainability is a key concern: Just over a quarter of Brits (28%) value sustainability and are keen to support the environment by shopping at charity shops and thrift stores.
  • Brits enjoy supporting their local high street: Despite the increased cost-of-living, it’s great to hear that respondents are actively supporting their local high street. 37% of Brits say they support their local high street by eating at local restaurants and cafes, 32% support their high street by shopping at independent local retailers. Whilst 32% support their high street by shopping at local charity or thrift shops.

When Legal & General asked respondents what they enjoyed most about their local high street, 36% said it was the convenience of being nearby, 24% said it was the variety of shops and businesses, 19% attributed it to supporting the local community. A notable 14% of adults cited vintage, charity and thrift stores as being the key reason for what they enjoy most about their local high street.