April 30th 2023
Hopefully spring is now upon us and that the first of the three long weekends has set the weather pattern for those to follow.
Many of you will be celebrating the coronation of King Charles III with friends and family or attending one or more of the events here in South Woodham Ferrers. I remember well being dressed as a Beefeater with my elder brother in a cowboy outfit, my mother as the Queen of tarts and my father wearing a pith helmet and kaki shorts as we rejoiced in Queen Elizabeth's ceremony seventy years ago with one heck of a street party that continued late into the night.
The shop will be open on Saturday the 6th of May so feel free to pop in and join us as we raise three cheers to our new king and queen.
It is with much sadness that I report the death of John Kimberley one of our trustees who recently died of a brain tumour and a member of staff who passed this weekend. On behalf of the trustees and staff may I offer my condolences to their families and friends.
April 2nd 2023
It is with much delight that I can report the year end figures for the Charity Shop on Warwick Parade
.
Old habits die hard and as ever I produced a budget and cash flow in February 2022 for the trading period from April the 1st 2022 to March the 31st 2023. The projected sales target for the shop was exceeded by over eight thousand pounds and all other income just fifty seven pounds less than expected.
Donations made to the registered charity were over eighty thousand pounds, again eight thousand pounds more than budgeted; which was particularly satisfying given that the shop spent an unplanned sum of almost six thousand pounds replacing the old "quarantine tent" with a new container complete with lighting, heating and a covered area in order to improve the working conditions for the volunteers that accept the donation in the rear yard.
Once again I would like to say that none of the above would have been possible without the support of the local community as both donors and customers; thank you for your donations that our hardworking band of almost fifty volunteers sort, price display and sell, before the trustees give not less than fifty percent of the profit from the shop back to South Woodham Ferrers.
I was saddened this week to read that one UK hospice charity had been heavily criticised by the Charity Commission with the following statement, " An investigation by the Charity Commission has found that a hospice charity spent only 6% of the money it raised on its end cause".
February 6th 2023
Well here we are in 2023 and the shop has re-opened for business.
Sadly all efforts, including a two meter by one meter sign on the door of the new container asking people not to leave donations whilst the shop was shut failed. The result being that during the closure volunteers had to unlock containers on an almost daily basis and remove goods left outside.
The new container and extra undercover area is working well and I would ask that people leaving donations bring them to the rear yard during the hours shown. Those being 09:30 'til 13:00 Monday to Saturday. This gives the volunteers time to sort and price stock in the afternoons.
Hopefully we will achieve our budgeted donation target to the registered charity of seventy two thousand pounds this year.; it currently stands at just over fifty nine thousand pounds with ten weeks left in this financial year.
So, there we have it, all I can do is wish everybody all the very best for 2023 and I look forward to seeing you in the shop in the not too distant future.