All Aboard!

Recently, I was contacted by All Aboard Charity Shops after admiring some of the photos on their Instagram page. Having previously thought all their charity shops were in London, I was delighted to discover I didn't have to continue just to look from afar as the charity have a shop in Prestwich in North Manchester! 

So last Monday, I took the short tram ride from the city centre and this is what I discovered...

The charity was founded over twenty years ago by a lady called Stella Lucas and was set up to help and support, through retail sales, Jewish charitable organisations. Nowadays, All Aboard run nineteen shops in total, eighteen of which are in Greater London. Proceeds from these nineteen shops and a successful eBay account support over fifty organisations based in the UK.

Shop front - All Aboard, Prestwich

The Prestwich shop makes up part of The Longfield Centre, a shopping precinct just opposite the tram station. The shop was easy to find with really clear branding and an open and attractive front window. The inside of the shop is bright, airy and open with clear sections for menswear, jewellery, things for the home etc and also has a section for children, much to the delight of parents wanting to shop!

I was given a really warm welcome and made to feel really at home by Shop Manager Wendy, Deputy Shop Manager Angela and all the shop's wonderful volunteers! In addition, I met Corri who oversees all of All Aboard's nineteen shops (I can't even imagine how much money I'd spend if that were my job!).

My first impression was just how organised an operation Wendy runs! A look in the upstairs storage room of the shop revealed stock sectioned off into not just summer and winter but sparkles and gifts for Christmas, raffle prizes, fancy dress, toys and decorations along with separate storage for different accessories - many incredible hats, bags and pairs of shoes! Wendy told me she knows exactly where everything is so if a customer asks for something in particular, she can tell them if they have it within a couple of minutes. Having worked in shops myself, I'm in awe of anyone who can form such order from donations where no bag is the same!

Lovely things for the home

Huge collection of donated jewellery

Gift ideas and raffle prizes ready for Christmas

Fancy dress

A walk around the shop floor served to highlight how well-renowned the shop is within the local community. Customers were chatting to each other and to volunteers and I overheard more than one customer saying, completely unprompted, that All Aboard was their favourite shop in the area to visit. This was also evident in the amount of donations the shop receive. The volunteers were kept busy with multiple drop-offs in the two hours I spent at the shop. Considering the shop is surrounded by some charities with UK-wide branding, this is a real testament to the reputation Wendy and her team have built up in the years the shop has been trading.

Wendy told me she has about twenty volunteers with three people on a waiting list to join. Everyone who reads the blog will know how much I support the 'traditional' charity shop as not just a retail outlet but as somewhere with the interests of the community and the local people at the heart of it. That's what All Aboard do so well - yes, the stock processing is quick and the till was always ringing but there was a really nice feel to the place which hits you as soon as you walk through the door.
I'm pretty certain this attitude is representative of the charity as a whole. Corri told me that founder Stella still visits the London shops frequently despite being 99 years of age!

So much choice in ladies clothes

Shop Manager Wendy modelling two gorgeous Zara bags 

I'd really like to thank everyone at All Aboard for facilitating such a great day! I'm really excited to return as the shop complete the change over into winter stock - some of the pieces I got a sneak preview of are really gorgeous! If you're in the Manchester area, don't just take my word for it - the shop is open six days a week for you to see for yourself!

Winter stock waiting to make an appearance!

As for my purchases, they'll be making an appearance in a recent finds post towards the end of the week!

For a full list of All Aboard shops and to find out how you can support the charity, please see the website.

Char x

Recent finds.

I haven't posted any second hand finds for quite a while now but that doesn't mean I haven't been shopping! I was actually quite enraged when I discovered the first Monday after pay day was Bank Holiday - for one, I always have Mondays off so while everyone else was enjoying their three day break, I just had a normal weekend with too many people hanging about on the Monday when I normally have a nice quiet day! What was more annoying was that Monday after payday is normally my super charity shop day where I visit a multitude of different areas in one mad bus travelling day which I couldn't do because 90% of charity shops are closed on a Bank Holiday! Fuming.

So, to make up for it, I got up super early (5.30am) on Sunday and went to the car boot. I've got a horrible feeling that it was the last one of the year (unless anyone has been to Burnage Rugby Club this morning?) which makes me feel pretty sad as they're a relatively new discovery for me. On a more positive note, I did find some great items.

First up was this white dress which has the original tags and cost £2. The girl I bought this from had some amazing bits but most were just a size too big for me :(. I tried this on when I got home and, although you can't see them on the pictures, the dress has two pockets. The fabric isn't completely opaque either so you can see the pockets inside - I'm sure I could pay somebody to do something about that (as my sewing skills don't go beyond reattaching a button) - has anybody had this problem before?

I also picked up these Miss KG slip on shoes for £2. They're only a tiny size three but I took a chance and they fit really well. 

They're in ridiculously good condition for a second hand pair of shoes so I did a bit of a search and here they are, currently listed on the Kurt Geiger website  - http://www.kurtgeiger.com/leo-black-synthetic-36-miss-kg-shoe.html for £42!

From the same lady, I also purchased these Topshop black boots, again in incredible condition. 

In fact, all the shoes on this one stall were £2 and the lady was saying the money was going to St Ann's Hospice. This obviously combined charity shopping and car boots into one which made me super happy! 

I also got this black leopard print pattern dress for £2. I've discussed my love of leopard print before and I'm so glad that all the winter clothing is appearing - I'll be delighted to be back in all black outfits!

My final car boot purchase was these blue velvet pointy flatform creeper type shoes (not entirely sure what they are!).

These cost 50p and yes, that label does say £55.

My other two purchases this week were from The Salvation Army shop in Sale which currently has my favourite charity shop thing...the £1 rail! From that, I picked up this comfy grey jumper with gold beads on the front...

...and this book for 50p. I'm having a real problem with books at the moment. I have three on my bedside table which I've started but just can't get into. If I'm not gripped by the first few pages, I don't read any further, which is probably a really bad attitude! Hopefully this one will turn things around!

Char x

Experiences of volunteering.

I saw a news article last week surrounding a study showing that among people who work, those who also volunteer in their spare time are generally happier. There can be no doubt that volunteering has many positives - the benefits for the cause you support through volunteering is obvious but it extends beyond that. Many people volunteer to improve their social lives and meet new people. It's also a great way to gain new skills which can be transferable in the job market.

I've tried and failed to volunteer for three different causes over the past few years.
The first voluntary role I applied for was with one of the youth uniformed organisations. I saw the advert on a Manchester volunteering website shortly after becoming unemployed in 2013. I wanted something productive to do with my time, other than job hunting and the idea of setting up a new unit in East Manchester really appealed as I got a lot from my experiences with them when I was younger. I also love East Manchester and still feel like it's home to me despite being a city centre-dweller now! So after an informal chat over the phone, I was invited to an initial meet-up in Droylsden with the lady who was running the recruitment and the other people who had applied to volunteer.
After the initial meeting, I felt really positive. I got on well with both girls who attended and we put together a strategy to move forward with the unit. Over the next few months we met up approximately every three weeks. In the beginning, although I didn't think progress was particularly speedy, I was unsure how quickly these things develop normally so I tried to keep positive about it all despite there being no concrete plans. We went to view a venue and decided it would be perfect but after a few weeks of deliberation, the headteacher at the school we planned to run out of, said it wouldn't be possible. No contingency plans had been made and we were starting all over again. Myself and the other prospective volunteer had little communication with the charity and for most of the time so had no clue what was going on!
A year after I originally applied, no unit had been set up. We had no venue and no sign of one. The most annoying thing was, the charity were reluctant to hand any of this responsibility over to us and instead, the whole operation was being run by someone who lived in Stoke and didn't know the Manchester area at all! After discussing it for a while, myself and the other girl decided to cut our ties with it. I had a full time job again by then and having seen no progress, was extremely frustrated. We wasted so much time attending useless meetings and training courses which amounted to nothing! The worst thing is, I was unemployed for about three months in the beginning and could've dedicated that time to another cause who may have been slightly more proactive!

My second attempt was with an animal charity in the rehoming centre. I applied over the internet when I saw there were vacancies for animal care assistants. My only ever career dream as a child was to be a vet so this was right up my street! I travelled for over an hour on two buses to take my identification documents to the centre. When I got there, the manager was rude and completely disinterested. I never went back.

Most recently, I applied to do some mentoring with a mental health charity. Once again, I applied online and was asked to attend an informal interview at the centre in which I would be volunteering. Following that, I was invited on a few different courses to make sure I was suitable for the vacancy which meant I had to take four days of holiday from work (which I was completely happy to do at the time as I believed in what the charity were trying to do). After this, a DBS check had to be completed but this was returned quickly. And then nothing...until about two weeks ago. For six months I heard absolutely nothing, during which time I was offered a bit of flexibility to my hours at work meaning I would no longer be free every Monday which is when I had planned to do the volunteering. I took it. I was finally contacted by email just recently and the wording was very much to the tune of 'we have someone for you now, get in touch as soon as possible so as not to be inconvenient'.

I just want to say here that I do not expect to have a red carpet rolled out for me because I've decided to give away some of my free time. However, I do work full time and the time commitment required for all of the above opportunities was substantial. I applied because I believed in each of the causes and wanted to do something to help them.
I've got to say, it's really put me off volunteering now. Everyone I've met has been so completely disorganised and in many cases, horrendously rude. It really makes me wonder how they've recruited any volunteers at all! I've also worked in jobs where I've recruited and managed volunteers and I would never have dreamt of treating them with the disrespect I've been shown.

I'd be happy to have my faith restored if anyone wants to share their positive experiences of volunteering?

Char x

Ps. I also want to say thanks to Jenni who brought this to the forefront of my mind after telling me about her volunteering experience!

Better late than never?

Yesterday, The Guardian Online reported that the charity Oxfam is set to launch six ‘super-saver’ discount stores in an attempt to combat losses in their retail division. It has been suggested that these shops will have block prices of £1, £2 and £3 to encourage customers to snap up more bargains and follows reports that across its 700 UK stores, the charity has seen a fall in sales of 3%.

It has been suggested that the fall in sales is due to a number of contributing factors:

1.     Charity shops are in competition with discount retailers such as Primark. ‘Fast fashion’ shows no signs of slowing down as the high street continues to promote cheap garments. If you can get something new for the same price, why would you buy something that previously belonged to someone else? In addition to this, retailers such as Aldi and Lidl now sell clothes making ‘charity shops look rather pricey’.

2.     The popularity of online shopping continues to grow. Charities simply cannot offer customers this on a large scale as items are usually one-off. Many charities do look to listing more expensive and rare items on auctions sites like eBay but this is time consuming and doesn’t result in a repeated sales.

3.     Donations are down so shops simply have less to sell. In line with the 3% drop in sales, Oxfam also reported a 2% drop in goods being donated. It has been suggested that this is due to people buying less clothing meaning they have less to donate.

No doubt all this is true but does Oxfam have other problems?

I get a lot of comments on Instagram and Twitter from people who are annoyed about the high prices in some charity shops in the UK and without a doubt, the main offender is Oxfam. I’d like to think that this news means the charity have some awareness of these attitudes but with new discount stores set to represent less than 1% of Oxfam’s retail outlets, how much change can we really expect to see? Understandably this will be a trial, and while I fully support it, will Oxfam’s bosses be able to get a true picture of how successful a reduction in prices across the board would be from figures from just six shops? Even if they do, how long could a pricing restructure take while sales continue to drop?

I’ve been noticing a few subtle changes in my most frequented Oxfam shops recently, which are Oxfam in Sale, Cheshire and the Emporium on Oldham Street in Central Manchester. Both now have sale rails for stock that has been out for a couple of weeks without selling where clothing is usually half the original marked price. In addition to this, high priced items being sectioned off. There seems to be more to appeal to the real bargain hunters amongst us. As a long-time charity bargain hunter, I sensed trouble.

I’ve never hidden how I feel about inflated prices and a number of months ago I posted about my shock to see the Manchester Oxfam Originals shop charging £100 for a coat. I also faced a few conflicting opinions on the usage of ‘boutique style’ shops. In light of this news, I’m really happy to see Oxfam move away from these and focus on providing cheaper clothing. I spoke a few months ago about who is the real customer base of the charity shop and I still strongly believe that it’s the people charity shops were intended for – those who need cheaper clothing. When the economy picks up and those charity shoppers who were just looking to save a few pennies can afford the high street again, charity shops won’t get a second look.

My concern is that Oxfam can’t undo their bad rep. One bad shopping experience can make or break a charity for a bargain hunter. Many people who contact me say they don’t bother to look in Oxfam anymore as they know the prices will not only put them off buying and item but will actually make them feel angry! Can six shops really undo that bad feeling and entice customers back in?

How do you feel about the proposed ‘super-saver shops’? If you’ve fallen out of love with Oxfam, would you be enticed back in with block prices?

Char x

You can read the original story at:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/10/oxfam-looks-to-discounting-as-high-street-shops-struggle-with-competition

Back in the game.

Sorry (again) for my lack of posts lately. Things have been hectic at work and then I got ill (again) last week which resulted in me being bedridden for three days! I wasn't completely fixed yesterday on my day off but I just couldn't stay inside any longer so made a quick trip to Stretford to have a little walk around the shops there. 

Stretford is home to my new favourite charity shop, as discussed in my previous post. The Barnardo's 99p shop is a real triumph of charity retailing- friendly, good quality, full of bargains! The little lot below cost me a tiny £4.95.

Black and purple, velvet, panelled dress. I love dark colours - the majority of my wardrobe is black of grey so this beauty fits in perfectly. It's something I'd wear to meet friends at weekend. I'm quite dressy out of work and don't own a single pair of jeans so dresses like this are a staple for me.

I also picked up this shirt. It's much more a grey-lilac colour than is shown in the photo. Something I'd wear in and out of work, I thought it was really simple but flexible.

New Look grey-green tunic. There's a small rip around the neckline but nothing a few stitches won't fix! It's from the Tall range, which I am certainly not, so I'll be wearing it as a dress with tights!

Creamy-white lace dress with button-up back. Again another simple piece which I can wear in and out of work. This was a little grubby looking in the shop but I've given it a good wash and it looks fine!

Vintage style button up back flowery cut out blouse. I think this is just so cute. Again, I need to make a few repairs around the flower cut outs where the material has got a little frayed but such a small job.

I also saw a Celia Birtwell floral blouse and a MaxMara shirt which were both too small. If you're Manchester based, this shop is really worth a look. It's jam-packed with rail upon rail of bargains!

I was going to make my way home after purchasing these but couldn't resist the British Heart Foundation shop with their half price sale being advertised outside. This is something which seems to be going on across all the UK shops at the moment and is well worth a look! I once overheard someone laughing about the idea of a charity shop having a sale but why shouldn't they? From what I can see, The BHF seem to be selling off any surplus summer stock in preparation for the colder weather. All that stock would just be sitting around waiting for next summer! 

I picked up this gorgeous red dress, originally priced at £5.49 and knocked down to £2.74. It's in perfect condition (probably brand new without the tags). Absolute bargain!

The same knock down could be found on this grey dress.

I also picked up this Topshop cropped black and white pattern top for £2.39, reduced from £4.79.

This white skirt is from Zara. Sadly I may have to sell this one on or donate it back as it's a large!

Finally for £1.64, I got this incredible blue suede skirt. It's pretty old with the tags saying Clock House which was C&As old label before the company disappeared off the high street!

And then I went home and took some painkillers and had a nap and tried to get better!

Have you picked up any great bargains in my absence from Internet?!

Char x

Quite an honour.

I'm going to make a bold claim and say I have a new favourite charity shop! Considering I've probably been to 95% of the charity shops in the Greater Manchester area, this is quite an impressive development! 

I stumbled on Barnardo's in Stretford completely by accident this afternoon on the way back from Urmston. I'd googled charity shops in Stretford 'mall' before and the results had been somewhat inconclusive so I'd never stopped there. Big mistake! This Barnardo's is a 99p shop. I've discussed Barnardo's one-price discount shops before and am a real lover of the shops in Cheadle, Droylsden and Fallowfield but this one was another level of incredible! 

The shop was beautifully presented in colour blocks with inviting displays all around. Sometimes with discount shops, you see a dip in quality but not at all with this Barnardo's! I picked up these six incredible items for just £5.94! 

F&F patterned top.

Stripy Peacocks dress.

Beautiful delicate peach lace top - no original labels.

H&M grey jumper.

Divided @ H&M contrast sleeve jumper.

Zara blue midi skirt.

I honestly cannot believe how great the quality of these items is! An impeccable Zara skirt for 99p?!

Prior to this new discovery, I'd visited another of my favourite shops - The Charity Box in Urmston. 

I picked up these two beautiful skirts for £4.95 each. They're both from Cos so I was willing to spend a little more.

Purple wool skirt from Cos.

Striped skirt from Cos.

What do you think of my finds? Have you ever bought something from a Barnardo's discount store?

Char x

Dress up!

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen I had a lucky lunch break on Wednesday!

With twenty minutes of my hour left, I decided to have a quick walk into Sale town centre. I only had time to look properly around one shop so went to the Salvation Army which has become my go-to donation shop since Age UK shut down. I picked it because it's the shop closest to my office but wasn't expecting to find anything as my success rate in there is about 10%! Most of the clothing is in larger sizes and the majority of the shop space is taken up with furniture which I definitely can't carry home on the bus.

The first thing I saw was this beautiful white dress from Asos. I absolutely loved the shape of it on first sight but was devastated to discover it was a size 6. I've been monitoring my calorie intake to lose weight recently, which has been successful but not THAT successful! I haven't bought anything in a size 6 since I was about 17. I kept looking at the style and size of it and pulling at the fabric before deciding to take a gamble, as it was only £2.99. Imagine my shock when I tried it on at home and I could zip it up! It's definitely a loose fitting 6!

The next item was this black dress. It was the standard charity shop price for a dress - £4.99 and doesn't have the original tags so I'm not sure where it's from. I actually think £4.99 is expensive for this considering the Asos one was £2 cheaper. I'm planning to cut the bow off (I'm not into bows!) and wear it under a printed cardigan in the office.

As I was paying for those two, I noticed this printed dress hanging up behind the till. I assumed it was on hold for someone but the volunteer confirmed it was just waiting to go out. Primark, £2.99 - bit overpriced but I love it.

Then finally on my way home today, I popped into the Oxfam Emporium on Oldham Street. I'm not going to lie, I used to hate the shop! I still think things in there are horrendously overpriced (especially books - £3.99 for some old coffee stains, folded pages and cracked spines?!) but the clothing is getting better. I nearly bought a scalloped hem skirt from Asos which they'd priced at £4.99 but thought a fiver was too pricey (I don't want to feed their ideas that their pricing is reasonable). 

I was just about to walk out (shocked at the selection of £40 handbags) when I noticed a Sale section at the back of the shop. Not one to miss out on a bargain, I ventured over. Most of the stock was items I'd seen a few weeks ago but then I saw this...

beautiful New Look number, new and tagged at £19.99 on sale for £4.99. That's a quarter of the price and in perfect condition - that I can deal with!

I REALLY need to blog about the amazing haul I had at the car boot on Sunday but I've had such an exhausting and busy week which isn't over yet. Promise I'll get around to it soon!

Char x