Charity Shop Diary

Wedding? Cruise? Celebration? Anniversary? Party?

THE CHARITY SHOP HAS A WIDE RANGE OF EXCELLENT QUALITY FORMAL” AND “SEMI FORMAL” WEAR INCLUDING HATS, BAGS AND SHOES SUITABLE FOR ALL THE ABOVE AND AT VERY REASONABLE PRICES.
34/36 HIGH STREET, LOCKERBIE

CHARITY SHOP UPDATE TO 12 DECEMBER

Well the first year is over and the income from the shop has exceeded ALL expectations. Over £33,000 was raised in the shop in the first year and of course EVERY PENNY OF PROFIT GOES TO THE DOGS. As regular readers will know, your committee thought long and hard about taking on the responsibility of a charity shop. Will we get enough donations? Will we get enough staff? Where will the shop be situated? What shop will we apply for? Will customers visit? The answer to all the questions was that Yes- we are getting enough donations and Margaret (voluntary shop manager) is delighted with the amount and quality. Yes - we have enough staff (just) but more volunteers are definitely welcome. Lockerbie was decided upon because they do not have an animal wekfare charity shop and 34/36 High Street was on the market at the right time and at the right price. Yes - customers do visit, in their droves. The most common comment from them is that "you have some lovely stuff and at very good prices". As a result of the success of the shop, the staff had a christmas lunch at a local hotel and indicative of the commitment to the shop EVERY member of staff came along and had a terrific time. The photographs (albeit a little poor as Graham is running in a new

camera) show the staff during their meal.

Finally, a reminder that if you have any good quality bric a brac or clothes or unwanted presents, or can lend a hand with a few hours a weeek or fortnight, give Margaret a phone at 01387 760577 (answer machine is always on).

On behalf of Margaret and her volunteers, have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The shop continues to grow both in terms of finance and donations. With regard to donations, DCGR has been informed that some charity shops are screaming out for donations of clothing and bric a brac. Not so with our shop in Lockerbie. Local people have taken us to their heart and the number and quality of donations has been phenomenal. There is not a day goes by when at least 7 donations of goods are handed in. Sometimes as Margaret or another member of staff are sorting them out, customers are wanting to buy before they are graded, cleaned and priced!! At the present time, Margaret is changing over from Summer to Autumn and Winter clothes and she informs us that there are some REALLY good bargains to be had in respect of winter jackets and coats. The number of people who come to the shop as "repeat"

customers, confirms that we are selling quality goods and clothes at reasonable prices. On many occasions, Margaret has been complimented on the shop window displays (she changes them every week). For example, the two main windows have displays of "antique style" and the other of "university/college" where youngsters going onto further education can purchase household goods for their flats/uni accommodation. Next week will be a "Halloween" theme then guess what - onto Christmas!!!

With regard to finance, DCGR are on course to break the £30,000 barrier when we reach a year's trading at the end of October. Margaret and her volunteers deserve a BIG pat on the back for their commitment and effort over the past few months in realising such a magnificent amount. DCGR are not complacent however and we realise things could change overnight if circumstances were to be different. This means we are still trying to encourage members to help in the shop AND continue donating.

Please remember, everything raised goes to the dogs.

CHARITY SHOP UPDATE - 26TH JULY
The Charity Shop is still outperforming all our expectations both in terms of raising cash and promoting greyhounds as family pets. The shop has now raised more cash that all our fundraising events in the 2010/2011 fundraising season put together without having to stand in muddy fields or in torrential rain. The question has been asked however, if we still intend to have Meet a Greyhound Days or rely solely on the income of the shop. DCGR will STILL organise MAG Days as these events are still the best way to take our greyhounds to the people and to show them exactly what they are like. A visit to our News and Stories 2011 page will just prove how popular they are and how we still raise cash at these events as well as increasing the profile of the charity. Members of the charity have received an update in the last newsletter (Waggy Tales) giving them exact financial figures. Donations still continue to be dropped off at the shop and a piece in Waggy Tales requesting more goods has resulted in a multitude of donations including a TRAILER LOAD from a member in Newton Stewart!! In the shop at present, we have an ESTEY Pedal Pump Organ (see photograph)and a Victorian Stoneware 2 piece juicer which have still to be valued as well as a collection of Japanese collectables donated by a local supporter. Margaret (the Voluntary Manager of the shop) continues to have a high standard of goods on display which ensures that we have many, many repeat customers. Talking about customers, we have had vistors from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, USA and Europe along with home grown visitors from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. Staffing continues to be a challenge, especially during the holiday period, but with the support of our regular staff, we have not had to close the shop due to insufficient staff. The photographs show various scenes from the shop including one of Margaret and of the Estey organ.

New storage area

Member Jimmy McManaman working in the new store

DCGR's Meeters and Greeters

Wedding display in front window

CHARITY SHOP UPDATE TO 29 MARCH
Agreement has now been reached between DCGR and our landlady for an extension to the lease of the charity shop for a further 2 years. There has been a small increase in the monthly rent for the shop + a fee for building insurance + an extra £30 per month for use of a storage area at the rear of the property and this increase will be fixed for the 2 years. Your committee has agreed that the increases can be met from the present income of the shop and still give some profit at the end of the day although exact figures will not be analysed until 1st May (6 months after we took posession of the property). The storage area will be a tremendous asset (as those who work in the shop will testify) as the present "back shop" was getting very cluttered indeed. Having said that, the quality and quantity of donations are still excellent. Some more "local" ladies have come forward to assist in the shop and we now have a stable base of volunteers covering most days of the week.

Having said that and with the holiday season approaching, we would love some more members to come forward and assist in what has become a very lucrative fundraising initiative. Apart from the obvious financial aspect of the shop, it has rapidly become a "focus" for greyhounds and at every opportunity, the staff promote greyhounds as family pets. The pictures show some general scenes of the shop as well as one of our Treasurer/Shop Manager Margaret in one of her better moods!

Well 14 weeks gone and how has it flown!! The shop continues to be a success both in terms of finance and in terms of promoting greyhounds as family pets. Members have taken the trouble to come and visit from Wigton, Dalston, Carlisle as well as some of the remote parts of Dumfries and Galloway and their reaction is always the same – Wow!!

Storing continues to be an issue, but our landlady has agreed in principle to lease out a large store at the rear of the shop hopefully to commence when we extend our lease from the 1^st of May. Our Landlady has offered DCGR a 2 year extension to our present 6 month lease and following a recent committee meeting, it was unanimously agreed that we accept the 2 year offer depending of course on what the increased rent would be. Graham and Margaret Hill, our present Treasurer and Events Organiser respectively, have given a commitment to manage the shop for the next 2 years on the understanding that Margaret relinquishes Treasurer at the AGM (a prospective new Treasurer is thinking about it) and Graham persuades someone to “control” some of the Cumbria events during that period of time. Donations from the public are wonderful ranging from really unusual mantle clocks to model sailing ships and from limited edition display plates to “designer” clothes. Graham placed at article in the local paper last week thanking the local community for their support and it seems to have gone down very well with our regular customers. So much so in fact that another couple of local ladies have offered to help out in the shop.

Even although storage is difficult, we do not refuse anything donated to us although we can be very particular about what we sell. Anything not up to standard is sold on so DCGR still get some income. Please remember that from Junction 44 of the M6 at the north of Carlisle, it is only 20 minutes to Lockerbie so any of our supporters out there who live in the Carlisle area and who would like to lend a hand for a few hours, give Margaret a call on 01387 760577

CHARITY SHOP UPDATE - 9th February

3 months have now passed since we took occupancy of our charity shop in Lockerbie and it continues to go from strength to strength. As a result of our latest appeal for dried/silk flowers to make displays for sale in the
shop in the run up to St. Valentines Day, Ann Finlay and Margaret Hill kindly answered the call and Ruth using some donated vases etc made up the displays seen in the photograph. Aren't they lovely! One has already been reserved and will be sold once St Valentines Day is over. Additionally, Graham has made up a "Homeless Information Board" as can be seen in the photograph, which has been placed in the front window for all to see.

CHARITY SHOP UPDATE TO 28TH JANUARY

The "shop" is still doing extremely well with income far exceeding expectations. Not only is the shop a great attraction but arguably our member's greyhounds we have on display are even bigger, with people just coming in to say hello to the dogs and invariably purchasing something at the same time. We have been asked a number of times why Lockerbie? Why didn't you open a shop in Dumfries or Carlisle or Annan or Moffat? The straight answer is that many of these places already have animal rescue charity shops and the rents (as well as the term of lease) were unsuitable to us. Our landlady has given us a 6 month temporary lease with the option to extend which it looks like we will. Unfortunately the store was so full and ongoing donations so generous that Graham and Margaret have had to take all the summer clothes back to their own house for storage! We are in discussion with the landlady to extend our lease to cover a large storage shed at the rear of the shop and if this takes place, it would be wonderful. Our handyman Jimmy has been busy putting up extra shelves for our books (see photograph) and we have a special deal at the momment selling paperbacks at 3 for £1 and hardbacks 2 for £1. Additionally, we have 3 new volunteers. One is a member who will be travelling from Dumfries and the other two are ladies from the local community who want to help the greyhounds. The pictures show our bookshelves, a view of one of the windows "dressed" for Burns Week and two of the unusual things we have been donated - a pack of Tarot cards and a couple of "Humpty Dumpty" egg cups.

If you want to help at the shop, please phone Margaret at 01387 760577

Well the store room at the charity shop is officially FULL! With the amount of donations we have received even since the New Year, we could have opened a second charity shop (please don’t suggest it!!) Anyway, we are in negotiations with our landlady to lease an outbuilding at the rear of the shop that we can use for storage while the present storage room could return to being a “sorting and assessment” room. Margaret, DCGR’s Treasurer and Shop Co-ordinator, has stored all the summer clothes separately and come the spring, we will have a display to rival some of the High Street stores but at a fraction of the cost. In the meantime however and with donations still coming in, it is “challenging”. What we cannot do is refuse donations although we will obviously have to look further afield for storage facilities if the lease of the outbuilding falls through. Our book selection is large enough to rival Lockerbie Library and it may be that for a short period of time, we will graciously decline book donations. Graham, DCGR’s Event Co-ordinator, will be contacting the local press this month to thank the people of Lockerbie for their support and due to the success of the shop, attempt to recruit some volunteers from the local community.

The Oriental display

The Teapot selection

The picture gallery and bookshelves

The Jigsaw area

The clothing room

The store room