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Aug 2020

Last Updated: 07/08/2020

District charity shops 'overwhelmed' with donations

by Suzannah Rogerson

| 07 Aug, 2020

District charity shops have received a high volume of donations. Some have used appointment slots to control the influx, but Saint Michael's Hospice has had to close it drop-off point to prevent further increases.

District charity shops have been overwhelmed with donations from the public, with some having to put an appointment system in place with a three-week wait.

As charity shops have reopened, people have flocked to donation spots, leading the shops to bring in new measures.

Some Oxfam shops have had to introduce appointment slots but, due to high demand, some customers are having to wait to make their donations.

The Oxfam Bookshop in Harrogate remains open for donations during opening hours without an appointment slot.

Walter de Buck, North Yorkshire area manager for Oxfam, said:

"We have three months' worth of stock coming at once and we have to quarantine it. We are working with lower staffing levels, more donations and some donors are waiting three weeks for an appointment in some shops. We don't like to say 'can you bring it another time' because we need the money these donations bring.

"We have had days with 200-300 bags coming into some shops which causes challenges. We understand it's not ideal to be told to wait but we've not had to do it before. Some donors have been angry or disappointed, but it's measures that we have to take seriously to ensure the safety of our volunteers."

Meanwhile, Saint Michael's Hospice has had to stop any donations from the public. The drop-off facility will remain closed for 12 days to sort through the high volume of bags it has received.

The chief executive of Saint Michael's Hospice, Tony Collins, said:

"Over the last 4 weeks we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our community and the huge number of donations received. With items arriving faster than we could distribute them, we had to pause temporarily. Our donation drop-off point will reopen at 10am Monday, August 17.

"The planned launch of booking slots will allow us to continue to take receipt of shop donations from August 17 onwards, whilst adhering to the strictest Covid-19 guidelines for the safety of everyone."