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Our new shop in Pudsey is now open!
Our new shop in Pudsey is now open!
On Saturday Leeds Rhinos’ mascot Ronnie the Rhino joined charity shop social media star Jen Graham, better known as @charityshopgirl and our very own Russell Bear in Pudsey for the opening of our new charity shop – our first in Leeds. They were helped by 2-year-old Matteo who we support along with his mum Marcella and dad Vitor.
The shop in Pudsey, based in the former Halifax bank building on Market Place, has a wide selection of high-quality, pre-loved items including clothing, books, toys, homeware, and more.
Charity shopping expert @charityshopgirl Jen Graham was on hand to share some of the rummaging and styling tips that have earned her over 200,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok, led to a styling feature on ITV’s This Morning and upcoming appearances in a new BBC TV series, Shift the Thrift.
Jen said, “I’m so honoured and excited to join Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice for the opening of their new charity shop in Pudsey. Charity shops are my beating heart, I absolutely love encouraging others to embrace them, not only because they’re an incredible way to give pre‑loved clothes a second life but more importantly, because they support such amazing causes, in this case the incredible work that Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice do!”
Charity shops are my beating heart, I absolutely love encouraging others to embrace them, not only because they’re an incredible way to give pre‑loved clothes a second life but more importantly, because they support such amazing causes, in this case the incredible work that Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice do!
Jen Graham, @charityshopgirl
Our head of retail Andrea Titherington-Kay said, “Anybody who loves their fashion will be hearing lots about fast fashion and the need for us to be more sustainable in our fashion choices. More and more people are looking to charity shops like ours as great places to do that and find unique and special items at a budget friendly price. So it was a thrill for us to welcome Jen, a true expert in finding the style in charity shops, for the opening of our first shop in Leeds and our 16th shop in West Yorkshire and Royton.
Forget Me Not has been helping families in Leeds for many years but we haven’t had a physical presence here up until now. We hope at our grand opening we make a bit of a splash with Ronnie the Rhino and raise a bit of awareness about our work and volunteering opportunities in our new shop. Our shops are an absolutely crucial part of our income – it will cost us £7million to provide our vital support for local children and families this year, over 80% of which we have to raise through fundraising, retail and other income generating activities.
Whether you’re donating your unwanted stuff or you’re shopping for a bargain or volunteering your time to help in the shop, you’ll be part of the amazing community that helps us support babies and children with life shortening conditions and their families.”
Watch the opening video!
