A Single Regret? On Charity Shops in Edinburgh

Something I wish I had looked into earlier on in my exchange: I wish I had more actively explored opportunities for volunteerism within Edinburgh.

In particular, as an avid window shopper and browser, I've been quite impressed by the concept of charity shops in the UK. Basically these shops are run by charities, and form part of their fund-raising programme. Typically, the charity shop accepts second-hand donations in kind, which might include anything such as books, old DVDs, clothes and furniture. These items are then organized and categorized by shop volunteers and eventually sold, with all proceeds going toward the charitable cause in question.

The benefits of patronizing charity shops would include, (i) supporting a charitable cause which you might personally be invested in, (ii) benefiting from the reduced prices of quality second-hand goods, (iii) helping to recycle products which might otherwise have gone into the trash.

From Oxfam to Shelter to Barnados to PDSA, there are charity stores galore in the Clerk Street/Nicolson Street area. From time to time, I've even popped into some of them to poke around. The products on sale are generally in very good condition despite being second-hand - some clothes are brand new, and carry big-store tags like Marks and Spencer's. I've been quite pleased with my finds thus far!



Some of my charity finds in the past month: Sling bag from Marie Curie Cancer Cure (I think), £3. Checked shirt from Shelter, £4.

So now on hindsight, I wish I had spotted opportunities to volunteer within these stores which I've come to admire...perhaps in Shelter (fighting homelessness) or Baranados (believe in children!) Sadly the commitment period required from store volunteers is usually a couple of months - definitely out of the question since I only have 16 more days there!

Well, if you're coming to Edinburgh on an exchange and are looking for ways to give back to the community, do consider popping by one of these charity stores - whether as a buyer, or as a volunteer. For more information check out http://www.changeworks.org.uk/content.php?linkid=347 for a map of all the charity stores within Edinburgh! :) The individual charities would also have their own websites if you want more specific information.