Shop furniture and fittings urgently needed for a wonderful children’s charity in north-west England

It was really exciting to hear this week from Josie Bades, Volunteering Development Coordinator at Action Together Oldham and trustee of Home-Start in Tameside, Oldham, Stockport, Bolton and Glossop (Home-Start HOST). Josie got in touch to let A Good Thing know about a really exciting project that Home-Start HOST has recently taken on: the charity will shortly be opening its first ever charity shop, and is looking for some help from local businesses to get things started.

The charity: 

Home-Start HOST is a wonderful charity whose mission is to support parents, so that they can give their children the very best start in life. The charity knows that children who are raised in a stable, loving family environment are more likely to have a positive and healthy future.

The project:

The charity was recently offered some rent-free retail space in a shopping centre in Hyde, Cheshire, and the opportunity was too good to turn down. A shop manager is in place, Home-Start Deputy CEO Liam Finnigan is about to collect the keys, and donations for sale in the shop have been collected … so all that’s needed now are some fixtures and fittings!

Liam explained that Home-Start HOST has a great relationship with John Lewis already, and that the retail giant has been very supportive in terms of providing coat hangers and mannequins for the new charity shop – but what’s really needed now is some key bits of shop furniture.

Liam explained:

“We need a shop counter for the till to sit on, and we also need all sorts of shelving, clothes rails, bookcases and racking. Anything and everything! We are imagining that we’ll be selling mainly clothing, but we will obviously have a whole range of items for sale.”

Are you based anywhere near Hyde, Cheshire? Does your business have any of these fixtures and fittings that you would be able to donate? Any fixtures and fittings that you’re no longer using? The lovely folks at Home-Start HOST would be so delighted!

Liam added:

“We could also make use of things to decorate and refurbish the space – it used to be an optician’s store. Flooring, paint… anything along those lines.”

The charity is very keen for the shop to act as a community space as well as a retail centre – the shop is quite big, and eventually they would love to furnish it with some comfy chairs or a sofa.

Home-Start HOST recently took over the running of the Cascade Family Essentials baby bank – does your business have items you’d like to donate to this brilliantly worthwhile cause? They are in need most urgently of buggies, cots and moses baskets, but would also love donations of books and toys.

The ask:

• Shop fixtures and fittings

• Baby and child essentials

Can you help?

Do you have any shop fixtures and fittings that you would be able to donate?

If you do, the charity will be thrilled! Please complete the short form below if you think you might be able to help Home-Start HOST with this wonderful project.

Thank you so much in advance!