The shop, located at number 36, Church Street, will sell quality second-hand clothes and books alongside new items including wildlife-themed gifts, eco household products and the best in nature writing. The money raised through the sale of items will all go towards the work of the Trust who manage 60 nature reserves across the county as well as running landscape and habitat restoration projects across Herefordshire, providing advice and support to landowners, community groups and running events and activities aimed at connecting children and adults with nature and wildlife.
The shop will also be a hub where people can find out more about the Trust’s work in Hereford City and beyond. The Trust’s Hereford City branch are running a long-term project to restore the Yazor Brooks, which run through the heart of the City, and they run regular volunteering days and activities, field trips and talks.
The staff behind this new venture are Retail Manager Debbie Bean supported by Shop Assistant Cathy Dentist and they’re looking forward to recruiting a new team of volunteers to join them.
This will be the second charity shop run by Herefordshire Wildlife Trust who already have a successful shop in on the Homend in Ledbury.
Retail Manager Debbie said:
“It’s so exciting to be opening a new shop in such a fantastic location. We’ve felt very welcomed by our new neighbours and can’t wait to welcome customers when we open. We’re planning to open the doors before the end of the month with an official opening in November. We know that many of our members and supporters live or work in Hereford so its great to be opening a shop here.”
Jamie Audsely, CEO, said:
“While wildlife conservation is our passion, fundraising is also an important part of what we do as a charity. So, it’s great to be able to open a city centre shop which can both help to raise funds for our work and also provide inspiration and information for people who care about nature.”
The Trust are looking for volunteers to help in the shop – serving customers, sorting donations and merchandising the shop – and would love to hear from anyone who has a few hours to spare each week and who would be interested in this role.
The team would also be grateful to anyone able to donate quality clothing, homewares and books, which they can accept prior to opening, on Monday 10th and Thursday 13th, then Mondays to Saturdays from 17th October onwards, between 10am and 3pm.
If you’d like to find out more about volunteering or donating, you can contact Debbie and Cathy at: herefordshop@herefordshirewt.co.uk / 01432 683266