Charity shop in plea for security guard after raid

A CHARITY shop is appealing for a volunteer security guard after thieves stole £600 worth of stock during a break-in.

The theft from the Cancer Research UK shop on Nicolson Street is thought to have taken place in the early hours of Saturday morning, with the culprits even making off with the charity's donation box.

The shop has been targeted by thieves on at least five occasions since it opened almost 20 years ago and deals with shoplifters on a daily basis.

Elaine Robison, 48, who manages the 18 Cancer Research UK shops in the Edinburgh area, is now appealing for someone to act as a guard, as well as donations to help cover the cost of installing an burglar alarm in the shop.

Miss Robison, of Loanhead, was given the bad news by the store's manager, Sam Watterson, who made the discovery when she went to open the shop on Saturday morning.

Miss Robison said: "I felt absolutely sick. I think it's a very sad state of affairs when people have to reduce themselves to doing this.

"The staff and volunteers are astounded, they just can't believe it. We have had staff in tears. We are all devastated."

Hundreds of pounds worth of new and donated goods were stolen in the raid, including antique cameras and jewellery, which were taken from the window display.

The thieves hand-picked the higher quality clothes from the rails and even made off with the clock from the wall and a bottle of perfume from the staff toilet.

The shop's CD player and fragrance oils and room sprays, created especially for Cancer Research UK, were also stolen.

All the computer games, DVDs and CDs on the media stand were taken too.

Fortunately, no money is kept in the cash register overnight.

Miss Robison believes the thieves entered the shop by breaking the lock on the front door, before making their escape via the back exit.

The shop was closed on Saturday morning as police investigated and staff worked to tidy the store.

Miss Robison said the loss of sales for the morning amounted to around £500.

A police spokesman said enquiries into the matter were ongoing.

He added: "Police were called at around 9.10am on Saturday morning to investigate an alleged housebreaking at a charity shop on Nicolson Street.

"We are now asking for anyone who was in the area on Friday night and noticed anything suspicious to contact police immediately."

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Charity shops left with empty racks as donations fall

Charity shops are being left desperately short of stock as donations fall due to the deepening recession.
As more and more people choose to save their money by not buying new clothes, so they are continuing to wear what in normal times would be their cast-offs.

At the same time they are turning to charity shops to pick up a bargain, meaning clothing racks and shelves are becoming sparse.

David Moir, head of policy at the Association of Charity Shops, told The Daily Telegraph the problem of falling donations was "widespread".

"We are hearing very similar stories from across the country," he said.

He described the reason for the drop in donations as a case of "sheer economics".

"People are buying fewer new goods. It's as simple as that."

British charity shops turned over £120 million last year, he added, with almost two-thirds of that coming from clothing.

A ton of clothing can sell in a shop for £2,500 to £4,000, he added, producing a profit of £500 to £800.

Charities are now concerned their bottom lines could be affected by the downturn as supplies run dry, with many pleading for people to donate.

Ken Blair, chief executive of the British Heart Foundation, which has over 570 shops, said household collections had dropped by up to a quarter in the last year. All charity shops were suffering, he said.

"We are running desperately short of stock," he added.

Part of the problem was the increased demand for textiles from Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe, which has caused the price per ton to double from £400 to £800 since 2006.

Consequently more and more private companies have begun canvassing for used clothes from people's homes.

This has forced charities to spend more on obtaining decent supplies, Mr Blair said.

"The more we can get the public to support well-known charities at the moment the better," he commented.

Sales were "touch and go", he said, with the availability of stock being the key factor.

Shops with enough were doing well as people flocked to them to save money, he said. But he added that the issue was troubling the board.

"So far sales have been okay but I would not like to speculate what's going to happen," he said.

Cancer Research UK is urging people to "Detox your wardrobe", enlisting the help of television presenter Lorraine Kelly to get the message home.

She said: "We all know that times are tough, but this is an easy way to help raise money for charity."

Simon Ledsham, the charity's trading director, said: "Our shops are struggling to keep up with demand and are desperate for people to bring in good quality items that can be resold to raise money for the charity's important work."

Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern England, added: "While sales are up in our shops, donations of clothing, books and bric-a-brac have fallen by a fifth."

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Cancer charity asks for donations

UK charity the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation is asking people to donate their old mobile phones so that their components - sometimes made up of precious metals such as gold - can be used to help raise funds.

The non-profit organisation is searching for alternative ways to raise money in the economic downturn, when cash donations may be more difficult for supporters to make.

Money raised from the mobile phone appeal will go towards three different areas - support for patients and families, lung cancer research and tobacco control programmes.

It estimates that there are over 60 million old mobiles - which could contain the precious gold parts - currently lying unused in the UK alone.

Janine Drew, a fundraising manager for the foundation, said: "We urge people who still currently throw away their mobile phones and cartridges to take just a few moments of time to donate them instead."

Recently in the US, a 14-c gold ring was donated to help the cause of an Aids charity by KT Diamond Jewellers.


Source: Gold News

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Credit crunch boosts charity shops

WELL-dressed bargain hunters are driving hundreds of miles to snap up the Cheshire set's cast-offs.

Charity shops in Wilmslow have had record sales as fashionable shoppers buy second-hand clothes by top designers including Gucci, Versace and Chloe. Customers from as far afield as Cornwall and Yorkshire are descending on stores where the seriously rich recycle their unwanted designer labels.

Wilmslow is home to some of the region's wealthiest businessmen and footballers' wives. Shoppers looking to beat the credit crunch can expect to buy a £1,000 Gucci handbag for £300.

The Cancer Research UK store last week had record takings and Oxfam had 'exceptional' sales.
The Help the Aged branch outperformed any other of their outlets in their region. And The British Heart Foundation say they had a 'much better week than last year'.

"People are journeying from all over just to come to the shop," said Sandra Daniels, manager of Cancer Research UK on Water Lane.

"We get a lot from Liverpool, one man comes from Yorkshire and a couple come from Cornwall."

Exceptional

At Oxfam staff reported an 'exceptionally good' Saturday at the end of a good week, which staff put down to the economic climate.

"People tend to come in from out of town - we had someone the other day from Oldham," said one of the shop's volunteers. "I imagine the credit crunch is the cause."

Help the Aged field manager Margaret Gwyther said: "Wilmslow did the best of all the stores in our area and that includes Hale which always does very well." Liz Marsden, assistant manager at Scope, on Church Street, said: "There have been quite a few more customers out and about in the village."

The Wilmslow Business Group thinks any new trade is good news for the town.

Chairman Dave Bolton said: "We are really excited by anything that brings people into Wilmslow. The charity shops in the town have a high standard of clobber and if you are looking to save a few pennies it is a good place to go."

And a spokesman for Macclesfield council said: "It's not unheard of for charity shops to become known as the Harrods of the North and there are sometimes unexpected spin-offs from the `credit crunch'.

"It's encouraging that charity shops in Wilmslow are doing well, helping themselves with attractive window displays, and we'd hope that people continue to support them."

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Charity shops beating the crunch

Charity shops in the UK seem to have beaten the economic slowdown as shoppers look for value away from the traditional High Street chains.

The profits of the top charity shops rose 7.4% to a total of £106.7m over the past year, according to the Charity Shops Survey 2008. Top of the charity money earners was Oxfam, with profits of more than £21m. The biggest growth came from the Salvation Army, which saw its profits surge 64%. The increases in charity shop profits contrast with falls across the rest of the retail sector as the credit crunch has started to bite. Recent figures from the British Retail Consortium show that retail sales values were down almost 1% from July 2008. Since the credit crunch started, clothing chain Ethel Austin and the shoe retailer Dolcis have gone into administration as shoppers have cut back on spending.

Defying the downturn
But while mainstream retailers have been struggling, some charity outlets have been preparing themselves for an increase in business. David Moir from the Association of Charity Shops said that his members were well placed to buck the economic downturn. "Trading conditions, as for all retailing, are now extremely tough," he said. "However, evidence from previous slowdowns is that charity shops are well placed to weather economic storms as cash-strapped consumers turn to them for value for money." "If charity shops continue to respond to consumer needs, then they are well-placed to come out of this downturn in a good position." he added.

The British Red Cross said in July that it is going to spend £12m over the next five years to improve its charity shops. It plans to open 20 new shops each year until 2012 and refit 140 existing shops.

CHARITY PROFITS

Oxfam £21m

Cancer Research UK £16m

British Heart Foundation £14.4.m

Salvation Army £6.2m

British Red Cross £5.1m

Source: Charity Shops Survey 2008

Via BBC

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The Wild Banana Orchid and the Ghost Orchid at the Chelsea Flower Show

The Wild Banana Orchid and the Ghost Orchid at the Chelsea Flower Show from 5th to 25th May, 2008

The British will have a chance to see the rarest blooming orchids: the Wild Banana Orchid and the Ghost Orchid. Besides the rarest species – there are displayed many other plants.

After the show the orchids will be displayed at the auction organized by the new on-line charity auction site. The main purpose of this auction is to raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation UK and the Cayman Islands’ Blue Iguana Recovery programmes. Though these plants are beyond price but every collector would like to see this exotic plant in his garden. Experts of the British horticultural industry specializing in the orchid domain predict that those who are fond of these Orchids may purchase them – both for 250,000 pounds. Due to the trade law- it is prohibited to take the wild orchids away from the Cayman Islands, so the auction is the only opportunity for those romantic ones to contemplate these rare species for inspiration in their gardens. Also Orchid Society of Great Britain gave a promise to include a free Orchids care training course for the highest bidder to assist him in growing orchids successfully.

The Wild Banana Orchid or Myrmecophila thomsoniana is the National Flower of the Cayman Islands. This plant grows only in Cayman Islands. The name of this orchid type originates from its pseudo bulbs shape-like small yellow or green bananas.

The Ghost Orchid or Dendrophylax fawcettii is native only to Grand Cayman and should not be confused with the Eurasian Ghost Orchid. The Ghost Orchid is a fine plant which has no leaves, just flat grey roots and its beautiful cream- coloured flowers, blooming in May-August.
Due to the fact that the orchid roots mix so well together with the tree, the flower often seems to be floating in the air that is why it is named "Ghost Orchid". Also it secretes a charming fragrance in the evening. It is very, very close to extinction, that it is good to preserve it for the future generations to see it.

Hope everybody who comes will enjoy the show. Welcome to the world greatest flower show.


Important Update:

These exotic and rarest plants are endemic to the Cayman Islands. Due to the obligatory restrictions obliged by the government of the Cayman Islands, now they should be left in the Cayman Islands. Of course, the bidder will possess the flower, but he/she could contemplate it only in the protecting environment natural to the fine plant. High – qualified specialists in horticultural sector of the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park in the Cayman Islands will take care of the orchids and provide them with the required conditions to grow and blossom. The owner of the plant has the right to come and see (with the partner) the best and the rarest wild plants during the holiday.

The winner will stay a week holiday in Grand Cayman at the Marriott Beach Resort on the world-famous Seven Mile Beach. Botanic Park’s Director, Andrew Guthrie invited the bidders to a trip about the Park, moreover they are be given a private tour of the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme. So they will have an opportunity to see the world’s greatest lizards back from extinction. The Cayman Islands are famous for its sub aqua sea life too: nice swimming with the snorkel and diving pleasure. The final excitement for our bidders is 100 friendly Caribbean stingrays! They will be swimming in open water of the Caribbean Sea! Do not miss this one on the thrilling wildlife experiences in the world. To add the last feel to the holiday, helicopter driving tour over the Cayman Island is included for those who are fond of adrenalin! Feel free to enjoy the freedom!!!

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UK charity shop in a spin over record donation

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - A British widow has given 4,000 vinyl records spanning every classical genre to her local Oxfam shop, the largest music donation in the charity's history, a spokesman said on Wednesday.

The collection, worth an estimated 25,000 pounds ($49,260), ranges from Bach and Haydn to Stravinsky and Stockhausen and will keep the shop stocked for three years.

It was donated by an unnamed woman, in her 50s, to her local Oxfam store in the southern English town of Tavistock after the death of her husband.

"It is amazing. I can't think of a classical genre that is missing," said Oxfam volunteer Terry Hyde. "It is all there -- all your big figures from the 18th and 19th century, your 20th century unlistenable nightmares by Stockhausen, avant garde, opera, unaccompanied violin. Virtually every genre is covered."

Shop manager Jacky Theobald said the collection was too big to go on sale at the same time.

"It is a small shop," she said. "We will do a Chopin week, a Mozart week, that sort of thing."

Oxfam -- which says it seeks to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice in more than 100 countries -- makes around five million pounds each year from the sale of film and music. It recently received a rare Rolling Stones demo single and a Handel score.

(Reporting by Peter Griffiths; editing by Steve Addison and Paul Casciato)

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Is it worth value of money to do Charity Shopping?

What does it mean this thing a charity shop? A Charity Shop is a retail business driven by the charitable union to assist in turning the given articles into cash. Charity Shops are spread all over the world, but they are mostly located in England and the United States. In the United States you will find these kinds of shops under the name of thrift stores. Nowadays thrift Store shopping is very popular in the United States. These shops borrowed their name from the colloquial word ‘thrifting’.

Thrifting

You may use this thrift shopping term or just ‘thrifting’ in the reference to the shopping in a flea market, a thrift store, and a charity shop or boot sale. Any culture or any class have their thrift shoppers. Thrifting is an advantage for the poor, the businessmen as well as the wealthy. The poor can afford to buy a good snip; the businessmen get their benefit playing on the difference between the cost price and the selling price, and the wealthy, like to purchase something unique and extraordinary that can’t be found even in the Fifth Avenue or Bond Street.

Charity Shop Buzzes

Charity shopping is an exciting and alluring pastime. Also it turns into an addiction and passion! Why? First of all your imagination intrigues you as you are interested in the previous life of the item you are buying, who was the owner of this very item, it can tell you an interesting story. For example, could that old jeans costing ?3 be of a celebrity like Jennifer Lopez’s ones). Secondly, it is extremely exciting, it looks like breathtaking feeling of a knowledgeable gold prospector when he sees a shine in the dirt; a ‘thriftier’ feels the same thrill and ecstasy when he comes across a luxurious and costly Prada bag that he was in the hunt for. Faster than you think snobs will plume themselves on how many thousands of pounds they spent on an evening –dress or a pair of boots or what a bargain they dug up.

Charity shop- easy to find

You may find a charity chop in any town or city. Just ask for it and be sure people know that is situated somewhere in the centre of your town. You may do this way shorter if you make an enquiry in the internet. First search online for “charity shop New York” or “charity shop London”. Also you can try some guides or directories and do not be surprised of the number of online charity shops.

Charity Shops have their future

Charity Shops have their future. First of all they already exist for some time and the new tendencies show that they will continue living in the future. There are some reasons of this phenomenon. First of all raising money for the good intentions is a great purpose; secondly, due to the fact that minimum of subsistence is increasing and the salary does not and also because charity shops offer exclusiveness and worth value for price, then charity shops will stay trendy and popular.

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