New Charity shop for Shaw Trust opp Wickes

kyoto49

kyoto49

Well-Known Forumite
Sorry if this has already been posted, I checked back 6 pages and couldn't see anything related to this.

Just thought I would let people know that a new charity shop has opened on the retail park opposite Wickes. Not just a charity shop, but a charity shop with a very reasonably priced cafe in :) Had a nice hot chocolate and piece of cake this morning, much cheaper than the coffee shops in town, and purchased some books too. Seem to remember that a cup of tea was 75p!

Not sure how long it has been there, or what the Shaw Trust is, but the fact it has a carpark right outside will make donating stuff very easy. Hope this info is useful to someone who may not frequent this area, but loves browsing charity shops, or somoeone who needs to donate some stuff.

Cheers
 
kyoto49

kyoto49

Well-Known Forumite
Glam said:
So you moan about Katherine House, then big this place up!
Click to expand...

No, I made an observation about Katherine House and asked if others agreed - and someone did..

I don't post that often, and whilst on here thought I'd mention a new charity shop incase someone might be interested.. The two posts were completely unrelated, but thanks for your snidey input. I hope you are feeling proud.
 
Alan B'Stard

Alan B'Stard

Well-Known Forumite
I would not spend a penny with Shaw Trust.

I watched "Benefit Busters" on C4 a couple of years ago and was shocked at the attitude of their staff towards their "customers"? "client group"? "service users"?

I then googled the charity to find out more about them. They came from very worthy beginnings with good intentions.

http://www.shaw-trust.org.uk/1981_1982

Unfortunately, Benefit Busters is not available online but the comments about the program, linked below, are very accurate.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/benefit-busters/episode-guide/series-1/episode-3

I would rather, literally, throw money away, than give it to this bunch.
 
Miss Red

Miss Red

Well-Known Forumite
Baldrick said:
I would not spend a penny with Shaw Trust.

I watched "Benefit Busters" on C4 a couple of years ago and was shocked at the attitude of their staff towards their "customers"? "client group"? "service users"?

I then googled the charity to find out more about them. They came from very worthy beginnings with good intentions.

http://www.shaw-trust.org.uk/1981_1982

Unfortunately, Benefit Busters is not available online but the comments about the program, linked below, are very accurate.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/benefit-busters/episode-guide/series-1/episode-3

I would rather, literally, throw money away, than give it to this bunch.
Click to expand...
Ive had a look who they are and what they do and also your tv link...........i cant see whats wrong! There are a lot of disabled people out there who after a severe accident have to give up work, which may have been a big part of their lives at some point. Surely by putting them into work, it gives them the independance they could never have got, because of discrimative or un-equipped employers!
 
R

Roland

Well-Known Forumite
Disabled people do have even more of a struggle to find work than able bodied people after all why would an employer employ a disabled person when there are so many able bodied people to choose from?

So any help they can get is good news however the last thing that Stafford needs is another charity shop that competes unfairly with normal shops.

I think even I could make a profit if I didn't have to pay for stock, staff or rates!
 
Alan B'Stard

Alan B'Stard

Well-Known Forumite
Miss Red said:
Ive had a look who they are and what they do and also your tv link...........i cant see whats wrong! There are a lot of disabled people out there who after a severe accident have to give up work, which may have been a big part of their lives at some point. Surely by putting them into work, it gives them the independance they could never have got, because of discrimative or un-equipped employers!
Click to expand...

Look for the negative comments about Shaw. You had to see the program to believe it. As I said, worthy beginnings with good intentions that were not reflected at all in their treatment of people with disabilities, they have become a another business arm of the government with targets to force people with disabilities back into work, rather than guide, support, assist and the empathy that you would expect at accompany this.

They were few signs of these essential soft skills and plenty of "scrounging fakers" attitudes.

A million miles from http://www.shaw-trust.org.uk/1981_1982

Like I say, you had to see it to believe it.
 
Jade-clothing

Jade-clothing

Well-Known Forumite
I went in here yesterday for the first time since the day it opened and it is dire!
When they opened they had obviously been saving the cream of the stock donated for a good long time as their stock levels were excellent and every item was quality. Now however that they are relying on donations as they go their level of stock has dropped dramatically - they have less than half the amount they had when they opened and the quality is very poor - didn't see a single item I would consider to buy. The fact that they have made half of it into a coffee shop says to me that it is not doing well and they are clutching at straws. No one else was in the shop and the manager was stood in the doorway having a fag and didn't even move aside when I beat my hasty retreat. I give it a couple of months tops.
 
S

Sir BoD

Well-Known Forumite
Gramaisc said:
Shaw Trust has a boarded-up glass door, a load of glass granules being swept up outside and a cop-car and forensics van parked in front...
Click to expand...
Hmmn, Shaw? Cop-car? Forensics?

Mo9HdVs.png


Keep 'em peeled!
 
Holly

Holly

Newbie
Jade-clothing said:
I went in here yesterday for the first time since the day it opened and it is dire!
When they opened they had obviously been saving the cream of the stock donated for a good long time as their stock levels were excellent and every item was quality. Now however that they are relying on donations as they go their level of stock has dropped dramatically - they have less than half the amount they had when they opened and the quality is very poor - didn't see a single item I would consider to buy. The fact that they have made half of it into a coffee shop says to me that it is not doing well and they are clutching at straws. No one else was in the shop and the manager was stood in the doorway having a fag and didn't even move aside when I beat my hasty retreat. I give it a couple of months tops.
Click to expand...



Firstly the 'manager' you mentioned is actually the assistant manager. I like how you have made a comment that one cannot be defended by her or two cannot be backed up. You say that to you the shop being more a coffee shop than a charity shop suggests that it is not doing very well, where is the logic in that? The reason why the manager and area manager decided to concentrate more on the food and drink is because it makes more money. As anyone knows a charity shop relies on donations, so the fact that nothing was to your liking is normal, people do have different tastes. The assistant manager is in charge of the charity side of the shop and she has very high standards, when she has been on holiday the staff (volunteers/paid) has to put the clothes out, the only member of staff that can use the steamer is a gentleman whom is on the autistic spectrum and he sometimes gets it wrong with what is suitable to be put out. Judging by the date you posted this, the assistant manager was on her first day back after a 3 week holiday. Perhaps before you slate somewhere you should in fact consider all of the possibilities and be a little less harsh.

I do not work at the Shaw Trust charity shop, I am the wife of the manager who has been the manager since the day it opened and we both really care about the shop.
 
Holly

Holly

Newbie
Gramaisc said:
Shaw Trust has a boarded-up glass door, a load of glass granules being swept up outside and a cop-car and forensics van parked in front...
Click to expand...



Last year both the charity shop and the work programme side were broken into twice in so many weeks. The first time both sides were broke into externally, the second time the charity shop was broken into externally just so that they could get to the work programme side via the internal door. It was a huge blow to everyone that works there, especially my Husband the manager. The man they caught has confessed to both of the break ins and is going to court to be sentenced. He got away with a lot of money and computers, he is apparently very well known to the police.

Just thought people might want to know.
 
Holly

Holly

Newbie
Alan B'Stard said:
I would not spend a penny with Shaw Trust.

I watched "Benefit Busters" on C4 a couple of years ago and was shocked at the attitude of their staff towards their "customers"? "client group"? "service users"?

I then googled the charity to find out more about them. They came from very worthy beginnings with good intentions.

http://www.shaw-trust.org.uk/1981_1982

Unfortunately, Benefit Busters is not available online but the comments about the program, linked below, are very accurate.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/benefit-busters/episode-guide/series-1/episode-3

I would rather, literally, throw money away, than give it to this bunch.
Click to expand...



I cannot speak for the Shaw Trust as a whole, but the guys who work in the Stafford Shaw trust ability to work building are awesome, they are so nice and they are always next door, in the charity shop having a coffee with their customers. If the customers need anything there is a man who helps them out, like paying for hair cuts and new glasses, you know that sort of thing, he doesn't have to. I hope you take this into consideration, as the charity shops earnings go to the work programme and directly help the customers. Also they are always fighting for the people they are helping, and treat them extremely well.
 
Holly

Holly

Newbie
Roland said:
Disabled people do have even more of a struggle to find work than able bodied people after all why would an employer employ a disabled person when there are so many able bodied people to choose from?

So any help they can get is good news however the last thing that Stafford needs is another charity shop that competes unfairly with normal shops.

I think even I could make a profit if I didn't have to pay for stock, staff or rates!
Click to expand...


They pay for certain stock, they have paid staff in both sides and they have to pay for the buildings! You don't have a leg to stand on with that argument!
 
Bob

Bob

Well-Known Forumite
Holly I'm not sure what you're trying to achieve with your replies.

Your attitude to old posts is certainly not selling the place to me. Jade simply wrote her opinion on the shop as she found it on the day. Any normal person who was trying to give the shop a better image would have replied along the lines of:

"Jade, thank you for your comments, I'm sorry that on the day you visited your expectations were not met. We do rely on donations so our stock changes daily, I do hope you will give the shop another chance and we'll do our best to make your shopping experience a more pleasurable one."

If you've come on here to create a good impression of the shop I think you're currently doing more harm than good.
 
proactive

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
Holly said:
Firstly the 'manager' you mentioned is actually the assistant manager. I like how you have made a comment that one cannot be defended by her or two cannot be backed up. You say that to you the shop being more a coffee shop than a charity shop suggests that it is not doing very well, where is the logic in that? The reason why the manager and area manager decided to concentrate more on the food and drink is because it makes more money. As anyone knows a charity shop relies on donations, so the fact that nothing was to your liking is normal, people do have different tastes. The assistant manager is in charge of the charity side of the shop and she has very high standards, when she has been on holiday the staff (volunteers/paid) has to put the clothes out, the only member of staff that can use the steamer is a gentleman whom is on the autistic spectrum and he sometimes gets it wrong with what is suitable to be put out. Judging by the date you posted this, the assistant manager was on her first day back after a 3 week holiday. Perhaps before you slate somewhere you should in fact consider all of the possibilities and be a little less harsh.

I do not work at the Shaw Trust charity shop, I am the wife of the manager who has been the manager since the day it opened and we both really care about the shop.
Click to expand...
Holly said:
I cannot speak for the Shaw Trust as a whole, but the guys who work in the Stafford Shaw trust ability to work building are awesome, they are so nice and they are always next door, in the charity shop having a coffee with their customers. If the customers need anything there is a man who helps them out, like paying for hair cuts and new glasses, you know that sort of thing, he doesn't have to. I hope you take this into consideration, as the charity shops earnings go to the work programme and directly help the customers. Also they are always fighting for the people they are helping, and treat them extremely well.
Click to expand...
Holly said:
They pay for certain stock, they have paid staff in both sides and they have to pay for the buildings! You don't have a leg to stand on with that argument!
Click to expand...
Nothing that you have written here, or the way that you come across would encourage people to visit the shop, I'm afraid. I'd think about the way you post and the way you wish to represent the shop before posting again on this subject if I were you.

Just friendly advice...
 
littleme

littleme

250,000th poster!
Bob said:
Holly I'm not sure what you're trying to achieve with your replies.

Your attitude to old posts is certainly not selling the place to me. Jade simply wrote her opinion on the shop as she found it on the day. Any normal person who was trying to give the shop a better image would have replied along the lines of:

"Jade, thank you for your comments, I'm sorry that on the day you visited your expectations were not met. We do rely on donations so our stock changes daily, I do hope you will give the shop another chance and we'll do our best to make your shopping experience a more pleasurable one."

If you've come on here to create a good impression of the shop I think you're currently doing more harm than good.
Click to expand...
I'm agreeing with Bob here - I often park on that car park & walk past the shop, I've never been in as there's ALWAYS a woman stood smoking in the shop/cafe doorway - its put me off going in as she makes no attempt to move out of the way at all!
Jade Clothing knows her stuff backwards & is only pointing out what many of us think & have seen!
 
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