The only multi-charity gift card is a social enterprise that helps people give more sustainably, buy more consciously and support good causes.
PHOTO CAPTION: Margaret Richards, Operations Manager for NewStarts
NewStarts is now accepting The Charity Shop Gift Card — the only nationally accepted, multi-retailer gift card that can be spent exclusively in charity shops.
The Charity Shop Gift Card is a social enterprise that has been developed and launched in association with the Charity Retail Association.
NewStarts, a community re-use social enterprise based in Bromsgrove is now selling and accepting it in both its Bromsgrove and New Frankly reuse shops. NewStarts core mission is to provide free furniture, emergency food and household supplies to families and individuals who are in greatest need either on low incomes or in financial crisis and the gift card will play a key role in raising funds for that activity.
Locally the card is already accepted Acorns, Myton Hospice, St Giles and now NewStarts shops and in the national network of shops run by Marie Curie, Shelter, YMCA and The Children’s Society.
The scheme will support the growing second-hand revolution, which is helping to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill. It will also help national and regional charities boost their own income by giving them their first collective opportunity to tap into the £7billion-a-year gift card market.
The Charity Retail Association has 450 members with 9,000 shops, and together they are already diverting over 300,000 tonnes of textiles away from landfill and contributing over £300million to help fund the work of their parent charities.
As a social enterprise, a minimum of 65% of the gift card scheme’s surplus will go towards funding charity gift cards for good causes to donate to the communities they are supporting.
The gift cards themselves are recyclable and compostable and are available from participating charities and at supermarkets and other major high street retailers. They can be purchased as e-vouchers from www.thecharityshopgiftcard.co.uk,
The Charity Shop Gift Card is a member of Social Enterprise UK, and the Gift Card and Voucher Association.
Marion Kenyon, CEO of NewStarts, said: “We’re delighted to join the scheme that can do so much to help people live more sustainably and help those disadvantaged access essential items. We’re hoping to work with the local council and other support agencies to make full use of the gift card.
Lee Fellows, Co-founder of The Charity Shop Gift Card, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to welcome NewStarts to the scheme. The scheme is really expanding in the Midlands of late, providing great options for consumers and for the support agencies that use the card to help those in need.”
For more information:
www.thecharityshopgiftcard.co.uk
ENDS
Notes to editors
*Valuing the UK Gift Card Industry 2020 report was compiled by the Gift Card and Voucher Association (GCVA)
Key statistics from the Charity Retail Association — www.charityretail.org.uk/key-statistics
- Charity shops contribute £331million a year to parent charities
- Charity shops save councils £31million a year in waste disposal charges by divert 339,000 tonnes of textiles away from landfill or incineration
- Charity shops have more than 25,500 FTE employees
Find out where The Charity Shop Gift Card is being accepted across the UK at www.thecharityshopgiftcard.co.uk/stores
