Melton Mowbray store crowned UK’s favourite charity shop
Melanie May | 27 November 2024 | News
The Air Ambulance Service’s charity shop in Melton Mowbray has won the title of UK’s Favourite Charity Shop.
The shop was one of 12 area winners in the running to receive the title, with St Peter’s Hospice, Bristol, and Shooting Star Children’s Hospices, Godalming announced as the runners up.
The UK’s Favourite Charity Shop Award was launched by The Charity Retail Association as part of the organisation’s 25th anniversary celebrations, and to highlight the value of charity shops and their impact. The social value generated by UK charity shops has been estimated at £75.3 billion while they contributed £387mn to their parent charities in 2022/23.
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In the first stage of the award process, members of the public were invited to nominate their favourite charity shop in the UK, sharing what they liked most about it and what it meant to them. Almost 6,500 nominations were received. The shortlisted stores were put to a public vote to determine twelve area winners. The UK’s Favourite Charity Shop 2024 was announced at a gala dinner, held at Haberdashers Hall in London on 19 November.
Simon Mitchell, Area Manager at The Air Ambulance Service, said:
“The award is thoroughly deserved; the team are absolutely brilliant. They are not only a credit to our charity but to the charity sector itself.”
Robin Osterley, Chief Executive of the Charity Retail Association, said:
“Congratulations to the team at The Air Ambulance Service. This award is a testament to the dedication of the shop’s wonderful staff and volunteers, and shows how valued it is by their customers and the wider community. We have been delighted with the response to the awards, which we hope will inspire more people to visit their local charity shops and support the wonderful organisations they are part of, which are making an incredible difference to society every day.”
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.