Our Story
The Charity Shop Gift Card was dreamt up by two passionate charity shoppers who didn’t previously know each other but were introduced through the Charity Retail Association – a perfect storm of lockdown and serendipity, it was meant to be.
Lottie Bradley has worked in charity retail for over five years, and is currently the Retail Design Manager for Save the Children where she has led the vision for their diverse new trading environments.
Lottie saw a gap in the market for a sustainable gift card that could unite charity shops on the high-street and champion circular fashion.
She loves how charity shops represent their community and is fascinated by the stories behind second-hand items. The thrifty northerner in her always takes great pride in sharing her bargain finds… “Oh this? £5! Charity shop!”.
On the weekend you’ll find her rummaging around the bric-a-brac section of her local charity shops in South East London, adding to her growing collection of 70s homeware.
Sarah Cox has worn preloved for as long as she can remember. From hand-me-downs as a child to Saturdays spent rummaging in vintage clothes shops as a 90s teenager, the thrill of a thrifted gem is so much more exciting than buying new.
Sarah lives with her four children in Devon surrounded by some of her favourite charity shops (known for their great selection of leopard print!)
But charity shopping took on a new light when circumstance meant that donated items became a necessity rather than choice. After rebuilding the life of her and her children, Sarah wanted to find a solution that would enable people experiencing financial hardship to shop ‘for free’ in charity shops so that they could choose the items they need with dignity and autonomy.
A charity gift card that could be made available to councils offering welfare assistance, food banks and other support organisations was the answer.
The Charity Shop Gift Card is #agiftcardforgood that both celebrates second-hand fashion and makes a real difference to people’s lives. We are a social enterprise meaning a minimum of 65% of our profits will go towards funding free gift cards to people who need them.
Meet the team
Sarah Cox
Head of Support Sector Partnerships and Co-founder
Sarah works with councils and other support agencies who may be interested in using The Charity Shop Gift Card to disburse welfare assistance and other emergency funding.
An expert by experience, Sarah is passionate about using the gift card to support those who are in need.
Lee Fellows
Managing Director and Co-founder
Lee has held senior roles in various payments business including a global gift card issuer and processor.
Lee has always held an interest in sustainability and the environment, recycling at an early age and is passionate about building a business that not only promotes sustainability but will increase the revenues of a multitude of charities.
Richard Bradley
Director and Co-founder
As the CEO of Acceptcards, Richard played a crucial part in realising his daughter Lottie’s idea to create a gift card for charity shops, uniting the rest of the team and the Charity Retail Association.
A huge music fan, his first port of call in a charity shop is always the vinyl section!
Lottie Bradley
Co-founder
Lottie continues to support and drive the creative vision behind The Charity Shop Gift Card, as a passion project alongside her role at Save the Children.
Our manifesto
The Charity Shop Gift Card was founded with the aim to create a product for you to give more sustainably, buy more consciously and support good causes. We want to empower the charity shopping community, connecting individual charities and their own causes to join up in the mission to build a more sustainable future.
We’d love to hear from any likeminded individuals and organisations- please drop us a line here.
Thank you for following us on our journey.
