Charity shop is victim of virus crisis
Charity shops have begun re-opening following lockdown.
However, one of Crieff’s well -loved charity outlets that has not managed to survive the coronavirus crisis is the Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland (CHSS) store on the High Street.
CHSS chief executive Jane-Claire Judson told the Herald:“Like so many charities, Covid-19 has had a huge financial impact on us.
“We have been losing £500,000 of income a month since the start of lockdown and find ourselves in a fight for survival at a time when we have seen demand for our services double.
“In an effort to protect the long-term future of our vital services we have been forced to make some very difficult decisions.
“Unfortunately, one of the difficult decisions we have made is to permanently close the Crieff shop with immediate effect. We are all devastated.
“We looked at every option to try and make things work, but we need to make savings so that the services we offer have a long-term future. Trading conditions on the high street are extremely difficult and future income from our shops is so uncertain due to coronavirus.
“We want to thank the local community in Crieff for their support over the years and our dedicated team of staff and volunteers for the time and commitment they have given to the store and the charity.”
Meanwhile, Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland’s boutique shop in Auchterarder re-opened last Friday.
And with lockdown seeing huge losses for the charity and the postponement of all fundraising events, CHSS is urging supporters to help them replenish the shelves with some much needed donations.
A quarantining system has been put in place for receiving and handling stock to ensure that customers, volunteers and staff are protected.
Carole Edmondson, head of retail at CHSS, explained: “We have significant safety measures in place to protect customers, volunteers and staff and have introduced a new system for receiving and handling all our donations.
“All stock will be quarantined for 72 hours to reduce the risk of contamination and stock will be carefully dated with sorting areas in store to allow a safe processing system.”
In order to manage the flow of the donations drop-offs should ideally be made between 10am and 11am or 4pm to 5pm, or by phoning ahead of time to arrange a suitable drop-off time.
Carole continued: “We appreciate our wonderful stock donations at all times, but it is particularly important right now. By having a clear out and donating to our shops, you can be the difference between someone surviving or really living.”
Chief executive Jane-Claire Judson added: “We’ve been unable to raise money through our shops for the past three months and because of this our lifeline services have been under serious pressure. That is why it’s been so important for us to develop a robust re-opening plan and why we’re taking every precaution to ensure that our shops are clean and safe for customers, volunteers and staff.
“As we navigate this new way of operating our shops, we are excited for the future. We can’t wait to welcome back our amazing customers and meet new ones too.
“Many of us have been clearing out during lockdown and we want people to know that their donation means more to us than just a donation, it means that with your help, we can continue to support people across Scotland to do more than survive. Every donation will help someone to get from hospital to home – and really live again.”