SHOPPERS in Ashington have been basking in the bargains on offer at a brand new charity shop.
The Salvation Army Trading Company store, on Station Road, opened its doors for the first time last Thursday with a lavish red carpet ceremony that included a blessing from local Salvation Army representatives to mark the special occasion.
Scores of eager bargain-hunters turned up to browse the new shop, which stocks everything from clothes and accessories to bric-a-brac and household goods, with all profits gift-aided to The Salvation Army to help fund its valuable work throughout the UK.
Shop manager Lesley Wilkinson and her team of staff and volunteers welcomed shoppers on the day and said the grand opening couldn’t have gone better.
“We’ve been very busy getting the shop ready for a while now and the response from local residents has been fantastic,” said Lesley.
“People have been regularly popping by, keen to see what’s going on and how they can help. We hope that now we’re open the local community will enjoy shopping here, as we’ve got some fabulous bargains on sale at very reasonable prices.”
And Lesley is now hoping the store will have a long future ahead but that success is dependant on the generosity of people donating high quality goods and offering up their time to volunteering at the shop.
“We are also always grateful to accept donations from the public, whether it’s clothes, shoes, accessories, bric-a-brac or homewares.
“The only things we ask are that the items are clean and in good condition, and that no electrical items are included as we cannot safety test them,” added Lesley.
Customers at the new shop’s opening were also asked if they would consider taking part in an inventive scheme to encourage the local public to recycle their unwanted clothing with the aid of a re-usable bag.
The shop is encouraging would-be recyclers to invest in a striking red, black and white re:bag for just 99p. The good news is that if the bag is brought back to the shop full of clothing or household goods the owner is rewarded with a £2 voucher to spend in the shop. Anyone donating clothes in this way can use the bag as often as they want and there is no limit as to how many times they can benefit from the offer.
“We hope that this fantastic start continues and local people will continue to support us by shopping, donating and thinking about whether they’d like to become part of our team of volunteers” said Lesley.
If you are interested in volunteering at the Ashington shop, visit the shop or e-mail volunteer@satradingco.org