Red Cross Blogs

Victoria Watts

Last week, Mary Portas, the “Queen of Shops”, controversially said that charity shops drag the high street down and make them less attractive to shoppers. She suggested that the number of charity shops should be capped.

We say hold your horses Ms.Portas, here are ten reasons why charity shops are clearly marvellous.

1. Lifesavers

Charity shops save lives. The Red Cross’ 300 shops raise £5 million in net profits every year, helping thousands of vulnerable people here in the UK and around the world. From providing food for famine-stricken communities in Somalia to helping people in the UK who have lost everything in a house fire, shopping with us makes a difference to people’s lives.

2. Bargains

Times our tough and our purses are feeling the pinch. We need charity shops so we can afford things that are normally out of reach.

3. A reason to visit the high street

Rather than putting people off shopping, charity shops often increase footfall in the high street as shoppers seek out those quality bargains.

4. Space fillers

Capping the amount of charity shops would mean more shops would remain empty, leaving the high street looking desolate and less appealing.

5. A sense of community

With over 530 staff employing the help of over 6,500 volunteers, our shops provide a real sense of community within towns and cities throughout the UK. They provide a place where people of all ages can meet new people and socialise.

6. Opportunities for young people

For young people, volunteering is an opportunity to improve their CV, providing a practical experience in retail and even qualifications such as the NVQ in retail.

7. The green alternative

Our shops, and others like us, provide a greener alternative on the high street. People donating unwanted clothes means less landfill waste. Even the damaged stock that we can’t put on the shop floor can be sold on to textile merchants for a small profit, meaning none of our donations are wasted.

8. A winning advertisement

With over seven million transactions through our tills every year, our shops help advertise the Red Cross’ life-saving work. Many of our supporters come to their local shop for information on appeals, using a service, first aid training and legacies. As the most public-facing part of the British Red Cross, our shops are essential for communicating the work we do and the services we provide.

9. Stylish shops

Charity shops are often stylish places, worthy of any high street competitor. Only recently, we launched our first ever stand-alone vintage shop in Shrewsbur, a beautiful shop if ever you saw one.

10. Humanity on the high street

Finally, in an age where high streets are becoming more and more uniform from town to town, charity shops offer a bit of individuality and variety – injecting character into our shopping day. Add to that the sense of community they provide, and the culture of giving they promote, and I’d say charity shops are improving our high streets – certainly not hurting them.

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Posted in Fundraising and events

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Did you know that roughly a quarter of all money donated to the Red Cross comes from gifts left in wills? I was surprised by this fact, and even more surprised when I found out some of the things people leave us. Here are some of my favourite stories.

Charity begins at home

One day, Sam decided to leave his house to charity. He went to a local charity shop and told the shopkeeper his intention but was so confused by their explanation that he decided to try the Red Cross shop instead. The quick-thinking Red Cross manager helpfully directed him to one of our community legacy managers who visited Sam at his home. Not long after, Sam changed his will to include the Red Cross, leaving the charity £20,000 in cash, along with his house, valued at around £100,000.

Stradivarius for their supper

You can buy a violin for as little as £10 but add the word Stradivarius and you’re looking at thousands – so you can imagine the Red Cross’ delight when it was left one such instrument by generous siblings Muriel and William. They bequeathed the violin after being touched by the kindness of Red Cross volunteers who delivered meals to the pair during their old age. The violin sold at auction for a whopping £195,000. Muriel also left her house to the charity, which sold for more than £100,000.

Stamps of approval

Two of the Red Cross’ most unique characteristics are its history and its scope, going back to 1863 and spreading over 186 countries. A gift left by Mr. E managed to encapsulate both of these traits. Throughout his lifetime, Mr.E collected around 2,500 Red Cross postage stamps and he chose to leave the stamps to the organisation in his will. From Austria to Zimbabwe, the collection includes Red Cross and Red Crescent Society stamps from all around the world featuring everything from Minnie Mouse to mushrooms. The oldest one, from Indochina, dates back to 1914. The stamps were valued at £250 but in this case the organisation decided to keep them for its archives for others to enjoy.

Unlocking hidden treasures

When Mr R died, the Red Cross received a letter saying he’d left his entire estate to the charity, amounting to around £2 million. Mr.R’s solicitor reported there was little of value in the house but the Red Cross’ legacy management team decided to investigate themselves. On first glance, it seemed the solicitor was right, but then they looked under a tablecloth, only to find a large safe. They’d already found a pile of keys and among the bunch they discovered the key to the lock. Inside was more than £7,500 in cash, as well as a collection of commemorative coins that sold for over £1,300 at auction. In another room, they found other treasures including a toy car worth £300. The £2 million estate may dwarf these extras but every gift counts and the Red Cross always makes sure it maximises every legacy it is left. Just one of those coins could buy a wheelchair or train tens of people in first aid.

Cowboy collector

When someone leaves the Red Cross the contents of their home, the organisation never knows what it might find – and in Mr.A’s house it had a nice surprise. Clearly a fan of John Wayne, Mr.A had collected a variety of memorabilia honouring the famous cowboy including a clock and a gun holster. The collection was sold in the local Red Cross shop. Mr.A also left the charity a mobility scooter which is currently being serviced. If all goes well, it will be used for the local Red Cross medical loan service.

Will Aid

If you feel inspired to make your own will, remember that next month is Will Aid. Throughout November, selected solicitors will write your will in return for a charitable donation, which will be split between nine charities including the Red Cross. Find your nearest Will Aid solicitor before all the appointments get booked up.

Find out more about Will Aid

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Posted in Fundraising and events

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This week we opened our first British Red Cross vintage and retro shop, and what a beautiful fit it is. Working on the concepts, we had a great time searching through old Red Cross posters, looking for decorations for the shop and designs for the bags and labels. Our archives are a real treasure trove of incredible vintage design. I’m a big fan of the clothes tags, which I think are calling out to be collected. Have a look at this slideshow to see some of the archive’s gems.

The shop in Shrewsbury is our flagship vintage store but you can find smaller vintage and retro ranges in other selected shops (including the beautiful tags).

But of course it’s not all about the beauty. Red Cross shops are one of the key ways we fund our work, both in the UK and around the world. It’s a tradition that goes back a long way, with our first shop being traced back to the First World War. Nowadays, the shops raise around £5 million for the Red Cross each year, which helps fund our vital work both in the UK and overseas. You can be sure that whenever you pick up an outfit or buy something for your home, it will be helping to save and change people’s lives. What better excuse to shop?

Here are some of the clothes from our vintage range and the difference each outfit could make to people’s lives.

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Posted in Fundraising and events

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There are few things I like more than a good cup of tea and a piece of cake – add to that a beautiful backdrop and I’m in a quintessential English dream. As fundraising writer at the Red Cross, I visit events from time to time, and I’ve been hankering after a trip to one of our open gardens for a while – they have all the ingredients for a perfect Sunday. So last weekend I paid a visit to Brook House in Wiltshire, where a sculptor and his wife had opened their garden in aid of the Red Cross.

Even the trip there was beautiful, through winding country roads and picturesque villages. The garden itself was tremendously splendid. We had free access to the grounds surrounding an impressive mansion with all the individual touches you’d expect of an artist’s home. Wow was a common reaction. There’s something deliciously enticing about seeing how other people live – think of a live version of ‘Who would live in a house like this?’ or, if you’re younger, ‘Cribs’.

There was a humongous pond with a rowing boat and pretty bridges, a woodland walk, an orchard, sculptures and endless exquisite flowers. My highlights were seeing what a globe artichoke looks like as a flower; a sea of yellow leaves on the woodland floor; a tiny little log cabin that brought to mind Hansel and Gretel – and of course the essential refreshments. Having meandered through the garden, the trip was rounded off with a tea, a squash and a delicious piece of homemade coffee cake.

Have a look at some of my photos in the slideshow below – and, if you feel inspired to visit an open garden yourself,  look on the website for one near you. I’d recommend it to anyone.

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Tags: fundraising, fundraising events, open gardens
Posted in Fundraising and events

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For the next month, until 22 June, you can vote for us on HostelBookers’ Facebook page to help secure £10,000 for our Disaster Fund. The company will give £10,000 to the charity that gets the most votes, and £1,000 to the runner-up.

How to vote

1. Visit the HostelBookers Facebook page and hit ‘like’.
2. Select the British Red Cross as your chosen charity.

How the Disaster Fund helps

The Disaster Fund is one of the things that makes the Red Cross so special. It allows us to respond as soon as disaster strikes – getting aid to the scene in hours rather than days.

In 2011, we’ve drawn more than £1 million from the fund to respond to disasters all over the world including:

• £200,000 to help people affected by a drought in Kenya
• £350,000 to help those who’ve fled violent conflict in the Ivory Coast
• £446,000 to ensure adequate surgical and medical care for the wounded, and emergency relief items for people fleeing the conflict in Libya
• £110,000 to help people affected by severe drought in Somalia
• £50,000 to support the New Zealand Red Cross response to the earthquake in February
• £40,000 to help families affected by severe flooding in Namibia.

What we could do with £10,000

Following a disaster, the £10,000 from HostelBookers could help us to:

• buy enough jerry cans for 6,000 families to store clean water, reducing the risk of water-borne diseases like cholera
• pay for blankets for to keep 5,000 people warm
• provide two medical kits, vital for saving lives at the scene of a disaster
• pay for plastic sheeting shelter materials for 2,500 people
• buy 830 family packs (including kitchen sets with 20 pieces, 1 bucket, cotton blanket, 1 towel, 1 bed sheet, 2 mosquito nets (single bed), 6 candles, 2 matchboxes)
• provide enough vital food rations for more than 1,600 families for a month and a half.

Vote for us on HostelBookers

Donate to the Disaster Fund

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