We're so pleased that our charity shops raised more than £12,000 on the first day of re-opening, following the latest national lockdown.
We almost trebled our target amount of £4,700 across our 12 Wiltshire and Dorset stores in just one day on April 12. And donations are continuing to pour in from our generous supporters.
Our high street shops have been closed since the third lockdown came into force after Christmas last year.
As well as building awareness for our work to care for seriously ill children and their families in the local community, the shops are a vital source of fundraising income for Julia’s House. During the pandemic, we lost around £150,000 in total for every month that our shops across both Wiltshire and Dorset were closed.
Luke Fisher, Salisbury Shop and Warehouse Manager for Julia’s House, is delighted to welcome shoppers back.
“We’ve cleared out all the Christmas displays to make way for our bright spring range,” Luke says. “And we’re just so excited to see everyone again – our staff and volunteer team and our regular shoppers.”
Along with women’s, men’s and children’s clothing, the high street shops have a crafts section, plus books, DVDs, vinyl records and more.
“We get some unusual items donated, so we’re really fortunate to have wonderful volunteers with specialist interests and a keen eye for treasure,” he says.
Some of the more valuable items donated to the charity last year and sold on ebay included a vintage Francesco Ruggeri violin, which raised £1,280, and a vintage Barbie doll, which raised £577.
Luke says, “We’re supported by volunteers of all ages and backgrounds, from teenagers looking to get experience in retail to retired supporters who enjoy meeting our customers and supporting a local cause. It’s a really sociable and varied place to work, and we’d love to have more volunteers join our teams now that we’re open again.”
For more information on opening hours, volunteering and how to make a donation take a look at Our Shops and Volunteering pages.
