"Choose Charity Shops," urges MP

It's not often you find a MP trawling the rails in a charity shop, but James Arbuthnot was doing just that in Fleet.

The Member of Parliament for Hampshire North East was in the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Shop to lend his weight to the national Choose Charity Shops campaign.

The Farnham-based hospice has joined forces with 6,000 charities across the country in a drive to generate more donations for charity shops.

Charity shop popularity is at an all time high. They raise more than £200 million every year for a huge range of charitable causes. They provide 180,000 volunteering opportunities, and 17,000 jobs nationwide.

In addition, they re-use and recycle whatever they can, reducing UK carbon emissions by approximately 3.7 million tonnes every year.

However, they thrive on donations of unwanted items, and many shops are facing real difficulties in getting donations through the door.

The majority of people in the UK have unwanted items of clothing in their wardrobes that they aren't using, let alone other household items such as toys or bric-a-brac, that could be put to use by charities.

Mr Arbuthnot said: "Not only are charity shops invaluable for people short of money in these times, but they also have quality bargains and are very trendy.

"I was working in another Fleet charity shop for a Saturday morning last year, and someone came in and asked for a wedding dress. I was initially shocked. But she needed it for a fancy dress party and got one for £10."

Peter Foxton, head of retail at the hospice said: "Our shops generate almost 25 per cent of our total income which helps us care for people affected by terminal illnesses in Aldershot, Camberley, Cranleigh, Fleet, Farnborough, Guildford, Hindhead and all of the towns and villages in-between.

"This is why the support from our local community is so vital to enable us to offer such an exceptional level of care.

"We hope that the national Choose Charity Shops campaign will encourage even more people to raid their wardrobes and cupboards to give generously to worthwhile causes like the hospice."

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