Frequently asked questions
If you have any questions that cannot be answered by the information on this page, please contact us at mail@charityshops.org.uk and we will be very happy to help.
Section 1 – Charity Shops
- What is a charity shop?
- When was the first charity shop opened?
- How many charity shops are there in the UK?
- Who works in charity shops?
- Why do people shop in charity shops?
- Where do the goods in charity shops come from?
- What do charity shops sell?
- What tax concessions do charity shops get?
- What happens to the money that is raised?
- How can I make a donation to a charity shop?
- Will a charity shop collect a donation from my home or office?
- How can I complain to a charity shop?
Section 2 – Bogus collectors
- What is a Bogus collector?
- Why should I think about whether to give to a bogus collector?
- What should I do if I think I have a leaflet that looks like a charity shop collection but I don't think it is?
- What is the Government doing to support charities and the public?
Section 3 – Volunteering in a charity shop
- Who can volunteer to work in a charity shop?
- What does volunteering involve?
- Will volunteering cost me anything?
Section 4 – Charity Shops and the Environment
- How do charity shops help the environment?
- How do charity shops contribute to textile recycling?
- How do charity shops contribute to other forms of recycling
Section 5 – About the Association of Charity Shops
- What is the Association of Charity Shops?
- What are the aims of the Association of Charity Shops?
- Who are the members of the Association of Charity Shops?
Section 6 - Starting a Charity Shop
What is a charity shop?
Charity shops are largely a British institution.
They are retail outlets selling mainly second-hand donated goods
to raise funds for their parent charities. Traditionally, charity
shops used to occupy unlet or unpopular shops but the majority
are now not only permanent, but are often in prime trading locations
in high streets and market towns. They also function as a way of
raising awareness of the parent charity.
Charity shops can only be set up by charities. An individual cannot set up a charity shop.
When was the first charity shop opened?
In the 19th century the Salvation
Army ran second hand clothing shops to provide the urban poor with
cheap clothing. Other charities also operated shops during the
Second World War to raise money for the war effort and relieve
hardship. However, modern charity shops as we understand
them - retail units selling
overwhelmingly donated goods to raise as much cash as possible for
the parent charity - did not appear until after WWII. The first of these
was opened by Oxfam in 1947/48 and is still in operation today.
Oxfam had been swamped by donations from the public (mostly
blankets and clothing) following its appeal for aid to alleviate
the post-war situation in Greece. The success of this appeal yielded
so many donations that it was decided to set up a shop in Oxford
to sell a portion of these and to use the profits to further fund
aid in Greece.
How many charity shops are there in the UK?
Our current estimate is over 7,000 and there are hundreds in London
alone. Charity shops can be found on high streets throughout the
country.
Who works in charity shops?
Although there has been an increase in the number
of paid staff in recent years, the majority of people working in
charity shops are volunteers. There are more than 120,000 volunteers
nationwide, and some shops are run entirely by volunteers.
Why do people shop in charity shops?
Many people shop in charity shops because they want to support the activities
of the parent charity. A growing number of people use charity shops because
of the environmental and ethical benefits of the reuse of goods, rather than
buying completely new goods, or simply dumping used goods. Other people shop
in charity shops because they like the range of goods available - many charity
shops stock clothes, furnishings, crockery, CDs and videos which are no longer
available in other stores. Many people visit charity shops to pick up retro clothing
in particular. Charity shops are also popular because the prices charged for items
are often lower than other shops, even commercial second-hand shops.
Where do the
goods in charity shops come from?
93% of the goods sold in charity shops are donated by the public;
however, some shops do sell what are termed ‘bought-in’ goods. These
are new goods which are bought and sold for profit. Many shops - especially
smaller hospice shops - sell only donated goods, but others (such as Oxfam)
sell both bought-in and ethically produced ‘fair trade’ goods. However, a shop
must sell wholly or mainly donated goods in order to retain its status as serving
a "charitable purpose. Donations of goods and their sale in charity shops are
environmentally friendly actions, as goods are reused, rather than being
discarded or simply recycled.
What do charity shops sell?
Most charity shops sell ladies', men’s and children’s
clothing, books, toys, ornaments, kitchenware, videos, music, computer
games, furnishings and bric-a-brac. Some charity shops also sell
furniture and electrical appliances, and some are specialist shops,
such as charity bookshops, bridal wear or music shops.
As most of the items sold are donated and much
of the work is voluntary, charity shops have relatively low costs.
What tax concessions do charity shops get?
Charity shops benefit from tax concessions under
UK tax law because all the profits from a charity shop go to fund
the work of the charity, which provides public
benefit. Charity shops, therefore, serve a "charitable purpose". Charity shops benefit from exemption from corporation
tax on profits, a zero VAT rating
on the sale of donated goods and 80% mandatory non-domestic rate relief.
This 80% relief is funded by central Government. A further 20% rate relief is available
at the discretion of local authorities.
What happens to the money that is raised?
Money that has been raised goes towards the parent
charity, to further their charitable work. Every year charity shops raise more than £110 million,
funding medical research, overseas aid, environmental initiatives,
supporting sick and deprived children, homeless people, mentally
and physically disabled people, for animal welfare and for many
other causes.
How can I make a donation to a charity shop?
At most charity shops you simply have to bring
your donation to the shop, but you should call the shop first and check
before bringing in any large item such as furniture (to make sure
they have space) or electrical appliances (to make sure that the
shop has a qualified technician to test the goods). To find
your local charity shop you can have a look on the high street
or use the Red Pages. Some charities' websites contain listings of shop locations. Charity shops also
collect cash donations for their parent charities.
5 things you should think about when giving to a charity shop
Will a charity shop collect a donation from my home or office?
Some charity shops are able to collect donations
from you, for example if your donation is large. However, a charity
shop's capacity to be able to do this varies widely and we recommend
that you contact the shop first to check. Our Find a Charity Shop database signifies where a collection may, may not, or possibly
take place, where known.
You can also utilise charity house-to-house collection sacks that may appear through your front door. If you take this route we advise that you make sure the sack you fill is going to a registered charity, preferably with the Code of Charity Retailing logo on the sack. Please see our section on bogus collectors for more information.
How can I complain about a charity shop?
The Association does not deal with complaints about individual charity shops but expects their members
to have a proper complaints procedure in place to deal with concerns from the public. The best way to deal
with a complaint is to raise the issues with either the charity shop manager or the charity’s head office.
The charity will want to be made aware of your complaint. You can telephone the Charity
Commission if you want to find out the contact details for a particular charity on 0845 300 0218.
Section 2 – Bogus collectors
What is a Bogus collector?
An organisation that claims to either give the
clothes to charity or sell them for the direct benefit of
charity but is not in fact doing this. The wording on the
leaflets may vary.
Why should
I think about whether to give to a bogus collector?
Your unwanted items can be resold in a legitimate charity shop and:
- Raise essential funds for that charity - many charities have shops so you may be able to choose a particular charity you support
- Provide affordable clothing for those who need it
- Any items that can't be sold in a charity shop are passed onto merchants who take them abroad for resale at affordable prices anyway
The bogus collector is not actually raising any funds for charities in this country or abroad. They are merely selling your items for their own profit.
What should I do if I think I have a leaflet that
looks like a charity shop collection but I don't think it is?
Donating second hand goods, including clothes, to charity shops is a vital way for many
charities to raise funds and support good causes. Sometimes charity shops organise
collections of goods from people’s homes to stock their shops and leave leaflets and
sometimes bags through your letterbox. There are a number of questions to think
about to check whether a clothing collection request is genuine.
Does the sack or leaflet say the collection is for a registered charity?
Firstly, look for a Charity Registration number. This is not the same as the Company Registration
number. If you can't find one or you are still not sure, call the Charity Commission on
0845 300 0218, and ask them to help you. Alternatively, visit the online Register of Charities
to check that it is genuine. Many charities running shops collect house-to-house and their
collection sacks will clearly state their charity registration number and many will also carry the
Association's Code of Charity Retailing logo.
Do they only give a registered company number?
This is not an indication that this is a charity, it just means that the
organisation is registered with Companies House.
Is the charity actually named?
Be wary of wording that just says ‘families in need’ or ‘sick children at Christmas’.
Does the leaflet or bag give a phone number?
The absence of a phone number may mean the collectors do not want to
answer questions and may be an indication that the cause may not be genuine.
If you are still not sure, take your unwanted items to your local charity shop. These shops should all have their registered charity number displayed somewhere within the shop. If you have a large number of items you can't carry, try calling your local charity shops as some will collect.
Find the charity shops nearest to you.
What is the Government doing
to support charities and the public?
Following a meeting between the then Charities Minister, Ed
Miliband, and key stakeholders, including the Association, the
Government launched an awareness raising initiative about bogus
house to house collectors, in December 2007. The initiative was
supported by a leaflet and poster. The
initiative is supported by the Charity Commission, and members
of the public should go to the Charity Commission
website for further information.
Section 3 – Volunteering in a charity shop
Who can volunteer to work in a charity shop?
Anyone who has a little time to spare and would
like to use it to benefit a charity can be a volunteer in a charity
shop. Volunteers are often parents with young children, retired
people, students, young people seeking work experience and part-time
workers. To offer your services you can go directly into the local charity shop of your choice, contact
your local Volunteer Centre, or see our list of
members.
What does volunteering involve?
Volunteers often enjoy their time at the shop
as it gives them the chance to meet people, make new friends, become
part of a team and learn new skills while raising money for charity.
You may be asked to sort donations, price goods, work on the till
and create window displays. Special skills are not required as
training is given on the job, but if you have experience, you should
tell the shop manager as it can often be put to use. Volunteering
need not interfere with other commitments, and most shops only
ask for a regular commitment of one half-day per week. Find
out more about volunteering in a charity shop.
Will volunteering cost me anything?
Volunteering shouldn’t cost you anything as many charities
reimburse volunteer expenses. Those on Incapacity Benefit can
volunteer without their payments being affected, and those
claiming the Job Seeker’s Allowance should not be affected as long
as they are still ‘actively seeking and available for work’.
Whichever benefit you receive, you should inform your
benefits agency if you are doing voluntary work.
Section 4 – Charity shops and the environment
How do charity shops help the environment?
Charity shops sell almost wholly second hand
goods – a large proportion of which is clothing. Had they not been
donated to a charity shop, these items would have been discarded
into the domestic waste stream and would probably have ended up
going to a landfill site. Charity shops ensure that large quantities of clothing and other goods are
reused. Clothing that cannot be sold is recycled.
For many years, charity shops have been recycling in large
volumes.
Reuse of textiles saves 33kg of CO2 equivalent per kilo of textiles compared to disposal, and 29 kg compared to recycling. Charity shops’ reuse activity alone saves around 2.5m tonnes of CO2 each year. Recycling of textiles by charity shops also saves substantial amounts.
Not only do charity shops recycle donated goods brought to them by members of the public, some charities collect goods door-to-door. 93% of everything sold in UK charity shops is an unwanted item donated by a member of the public.
How do charity
shops contribute to textile recycling?
It is estimated that the charity shops sector
re-uses or recycles well over 250,000 tonnes of textiles each year.
This represents some 30% of the total volume of textiles being
recycled in the UK. Without the work of charity shops this material
would end up going to landfill at the expense of local authorities.
How do charity shops
contribute to other forms of recycling?
Textiles represent perhaps 60-65% of materials
sold by charity shops. There is, therefore, a significant volume
of other materials also re-used and removed from the domestic waste
stream: paper in the form of books, glass and metal in bric-a-brac
and wood in furniture. The re-use and recycling aspects of the
work of charity shops often goes unrecognised.
Find out more about charity shops, reuse and recycling.
Section 5 – About the Association of Charity Shops
What is the Association of Charity Shops?
The Association of Charity Shops helps charities
running shops to operate their shops as effectively as
possible by pooling expertise, promoting common interests and working
together. Our members range from the largest national charities to locally based
hospices, and represent over 90% of the charity shops sector, which generates
an annual turnover of more than £550 million, of which £110m goes to vital charitable causes.
The Association provides these members with
a national forum - and a national voice - protecting, supporting
and representing charity shops locally, nationally and on the European
stage.
The Association do not provide legal advice or guidance to individuals or members of the public enquiring about setting up a charity shop.
What are the aims of the Association of Charity Shops? The Association aims' are given on our About us page.
Who are members
of the Association of Charity Shops?
You can find a complete list of our members here.
Section 6 – Starting a charity
shop
The Association can recommend the following sources of information:
- The Association has recently published a book written by John Tough, titled Setting Up and Running Charity Shops - an Essential Guide. This book contains practical guidance on how to get started and succeed in charity retailing. See further details or order a copy.
- The Charity Commission provides information on the legal aspects of trading, including operating under a trading subsidiary in their leaflet CC35 - Charities and Trading. Call 0845 300 0218.
- Charity Finance Shops Survey is an annual survey of the charity retail sector published by Charity Finance. Call 020 7819 1200.
If you are an individual wishing to set up a charity shop and donate the proceeds (or part of the proceeds) to charity, the Association recommends that you seek legal advice as we are not able to give any advice on this.