This week is Sustainable Fashion Week so we asked Retail Shop Manager, Claire Phillips, to give us her insight into our shops.

Our shops are at the forefront of sustainable retail, bringing conscious sustainable shopping to the high street. We deliver fashion to thoughtful consumers and provide a new purpose for donated goods. Our shops are special retail spaces which satisfy a desire for individuality and authenticity, providing a great shopping experience.

We sell good quality clothing, bags, shoes, books, entertainment items, bric-a-brac, electrical items, furniture, antique and vintage furniture, linen, bedding, curtains and homeware items. You can pick up some amazing bargains in all our shops starting from just £1. Also check out our online sites eBay, Etsy, Depop and Vinted for some great finds.

People, Planet, Profit

People

Stores make money for their charities, plus they have social and environmental benefits. From a social point of view, St Wilfrid’s provides roles for over 400 volunteers who often benefit psychologically from their roles, with many overcoming loneliness while developing confidence, self-esteem, and a new-found sense of belonging in the community.

Planet

We can re-use or recycle more than 90% of donated clothing, books, electrical items and furniture. This helps to reduce waste that ends up in landfill and reduces CO2. The reduction in landfill also makes a positive difference to the UK’s carbon footprint.

Profit

When you donate directly to our shops, it means the items are kept in the local areas and all the profit goes to St Wilfrid’s Hospice.

Donating to our shops also slows down fast fashion. It is a global issue but by using platforms such as Sustainable Fashion Week, a week dedicated to driving a positive shift in our relationship with clothes, these events highlight just how huge, deep seated and complex the problems are around fast fashion and our consumption of it.