It’s Donated charity shop, in the Groves, York, is saved

It’s Donated, in the Groves, was in danger of closing after sales fell, costs increased, and staff members left.

The Lowther Street shop, which is run by the John Lally international Foundation, had navigated the pandemic thanks to Covid grants, but the foundation's president Jeremy Piercy said the future of the shop looked bleak when restrictions were lifted.

Jeremy, 70, who is also the managing director of Shared Earth in High Petergate, said It’s Donated has always struggled with the number of volunteers and on top of this some of the charity’s trustees decided to move on to other opportunities last year.

“When the (trustees) said they would leave there was a general feeling that we would have to close the charity,” he said.

“That was pretty much decided at the last AGM.

“I was always very much against it.”

The John Lally International Foundation was founded in memory of John Lally, a York man well known for his environmental work who died in 1995.

It supports environmental causes and is known in the Groves for projects such as setting up planters in the Lowther Street shopping arcade and paying for a new hedge to be planted at Park Grove School.

Jeremy described the foundation as “an old-fashioned charity not a national chain, supporting people in the local community in the Groves” and said most of its volunteers live close by.

The foundation also supports eco causes worldwide such as reclaiming deserts in Africa.

Inside It's Donated (Image: Supplied)

Jeremy said that this year, against all the odds, the It’s Donated shop has succeeded “beyond its wildest dreams”.

He explained how sales since the start of the financial year have been up, and the shop has now paid all of its costs and started to turn a profit.

“Doom and gloom have changed to transports of delight as (It’s Donated) contemplates a rosy future,” he said.

Jeremy said it was hard to attribute one reason for the shop’s recent success but said it had attracted new customers “coming from far and wide to see what (the shop) has to offer”.

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He also explained how he felt the council has supported the shop by not increasing its rent.

“They seem to be on our side,” he said.

Looking to the future, the charity’s president said the plan is to “keep going the way we’re going”.

Inside the shop, Jeremy said customers can find clothes, bongo drums, chess sets, golf clubs, plants for the garden, tool kits, cat baskets, and much more.

Its products also includes organic incense, oils and oil burners, bamboo socks, rugs and jute bags, donated by Shared Earth.