Highland Hospice is delighted to announce its part in contributing to the £75.3 billion generated in social value to the UK’s charity shops.

A report commissioned by the Charity Retail Association (CRA), titled ‘The Value of Giving back – the Social Return of Charity Shops’ has been created to understand the social value of the UK’s charity outlets. The research sheds light on the benefits that customers, staff, volunteers and donors gained from these shops.

Attending the launch of the report findings at the House of Commons in London, Highland Hospice’s Commerce Manager and CRA Board member, Susan Cooper, was delighted with its findings, stating:

“We are so delighted by the findings of this report which demonstrates the importance and value that charity shops have, showing that the benefits go beyond raising money for Highland Hospice, extending into the fabric of the communities that they serve.”

She continued, “The report is an interesting piece of work which identifies what we in the charity sector probably always thought we knew - but couldn't quantify. Now that we have this evidence we need to work on how we best make use of it.”

Highland Hospice’s Beauly Boutique, one of the charity’s 15 shops across the Highland region, featured in the overall national report, and was found to have contributed an impressive £4,934,265 of social value between April 2022 – April 2023. This figure was calculated using the CRA’s Social Return on Investment (SROI) calculator.

It was also found that across all stakeholder groups - customers, donors, staff and volunteers - the majority of social value is linked to giving back to others or the planet and feeling a part of the community.

Maria Cuthbert, Highland Hospice’s Voluntary Services Manager, commented:

“This report provides a valuable insight into the extrinsic value generated by each of our volunteers. It demonstrates the range of benefits that every volunteer gains by volunteering with Highland Hospice.”

Volunteers at the Beauly Boutique reaffirm the report’s findings, with one volunteer expressing, “The friendliness and support of staff in the Beauly shop restored some lost confidence” and another adding “Interacting with the public felt like I was providing a service to the Highland Community.”

The report concludes that, in addition to raising funds for charities, charity shops generate an additional £7.35 in social value for every £1 spent on their operations, showing the invaluable role charity shops play in supporting and enriching the communities that they serve.

If you would like to volunteer with Highland Hospice, please contact Maria Cuthbert on volunteer@highlandhospice.org.uk.