A note from Scotland…

With the festive season beginning, charity retailers across the country are busy promoting the benefits of buying preloved items this Christmas.

Our #GoodCauseSantaClaus campaign has launched for the third year running as sustainability becomes a key focus for many shoppers this year.

As part of our Christmas campaign, we are asking Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) to visit charity shops up and down Scotland. This gives our members the chance to meet their local representative, showcase their good work and highlight the benefits of buying preloved this Christmas.

Please log in to the members section of our website to access Good Cause Santa Claus materials to use in your shop. We are also promoting the campaign on social media using #GoodCauseSantaClaus – this is a great opportunity to engage with customers and encourage them to join the Secret Santa challenge. Many thanks to all of our members taking part in our Christmas campaign – please email me at rachel@charityretail.org.uk if you would like to host MSP visits in your Scotland shops.

We had an engaging time at the Charity Retail Association’s most recent Scotland Network Group meeting earlier this month. We heard from Barry McCulloch, Senior Policy Advisor at the Federation of Small Businesses. He presented on the topic of promoting the high street and how charity retailers can get involved in local community trusts, development programs and more. It was great to see such enthusiastic discussion and I would encourage all members to come along to the next network meeting. The 2020 meeting schedule will be available soon to add to your diaries!

Rachel Blair, Public Affairs and Communications Officer (Scotland)