The British Heart Foundation’s store in Cwmbran is a bit different to most charity shops.
The charity shop specialises in furniture and electrical items, not clothes or books.
It’s based by the bus station in the town centre with dozens of sofas, tables and chairs stacked up around the large showroom.
Store manager Lisa Gale said: “Quite literally, we’re the only one of its kind in this area so we get really busy… people love to come in here and buy stuff.”
A nice touch is the home delivery service. If you spot something you like but it’s too big for your car or the bus, staff can check your postcode and give you a delivery quote.
Lisa said: “We’ve got different price structures for different post codes and then we aim to deliver it within a few days or whenever it’s convenient. The two guys doing the deliveries, they’re very helpful, so you know, if it’s somebody older, say came in and got something, then they will take it to the room, wherever they need it, so they’re pretty much really helpful.”
Donations
Stock comes from donations – which the team can collect from across the region, as far as Monmouth – as well as unsold items from other BHF stores.
If you have something to donate and need it collected, you can call 01633 731670 or pop into the shop. Staff will ask a few questions first, including checking that upholstered items have the correct fire labels.
Lisa said: “If they’ve got some really nice things, then I will find a way of getting to collect it.”
Volunteers
The store is supported by volunteers and always welcomes extra help. Anyone interested can start by completing the form on the BHF website.
BHF’s Cwmbran store is open 9am-5pm Monday to Saturday, and 10am-4pm on Sundays.