Petition submitted to save Welsh charity shops
Howard Lake | 11 January 2013 | News
A petition signed by 22,191 people has been handed in to the Welsh Assembly in an effort to persuade the Welsh Government to help protect Welsh charity shops from an increase in business rates.
The petition calls upon the National Assembly for Wales to urge the Welsh Government to reject proposals which will restrict the vital business rate relief for Welsh Charity shops. If they are not rejected, the changes could cost charities £1.2 million, according to the Charity Retail Association.
The campaign has been instigated by the Charity Retail Association with support from Welsh charity organisations WCVA, Tenovus, Oxfam Cymru, Paul Sartori Foundation, Ty Hafan, Protection for Cats, Marie Curie, British Red Cross and Hospies Cymru, representing over 250 Welsh charity shops.
Advertisement
Warren Alexander, chief executive of the Charity Retail Association, said: "Charity shops make a vital contribution to raising income for a huge range of good causes in Wales. 100 per cent of their profits go to charity, raising over £12 million every year in Wales.
"Proposals which reduce business rate relief or restrict charity shops in other ways will reduce this income, and will cause charity shops to close, leaving more empty shops on Welsh high streets and threatening 700 full time jobs and 9,000 volunteering opportunities offered by charity shops in Wales. It would significantly reduce the services that charities are able to provide in Welsh communities, having a disastrous effect on many people all across Wales".
The Welsh Government is currently reviewing evidence and due to make a decision this month.
www.charityretail.org.uk
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.