St Oswald’s Hospice Shares Expertise at National Charity Retail Conference

Earlier this month, our Retail Business and Strategy team attended the Charity Retail Association’s (CRA) annual conference in Harrogate. 

The CRA is the UK’s leading membership body for charity retail, representing 85% of the country’s charity shops. The conference is an opportunity for those working in the sector to network, share best practices and celebrate the importance of charity retail through a range of curated workshops. 

This year, we were not only delighted to attend the conference but also honoured to be invited to speak at two workshops, sharing our expertise on Corporate Volunteering and Retail Events. 

Susan Freeman, Head of Volunteering at St Oswald’s Hospice, delivered an engaging talk on Building Community through Corporate Volunteers. She shared details of our popular Shop Takeover Days, where staff from local businesses ‘take over’ our charity shops, often as part of their CSR days – serving customers, sorting stock, and dressing mannequins. Susan also took part in the CRA’s Creative Solutions Session, where she was one of just seven speakers shortlisted from 47 applicants. She shared insights into our Volunteer to Career programme, which equips Retail and Clinical volunteers with invaluable tools to move into a rewarding career. 

Meanwhile, Katie Gallon, Events Manager at our event venue, the space, was a key speaker at the Making the Most of Lower Value Donations workshop. Katie explained how our regular £1 Sales and £2 Kilo Sales help us generate income from items that haven’t found a forever home in our charity shops. These pop-up, affordable events introduce items to new customers and give them another chance to be re-loved. 

With 25 charity shops across the North East, several online stores, a dedicated events venue, and over 600 retail volunteers and staff, our retail team do an incredible job raising vital funds for St Oswald’s Hospice. It was a privilege – and great fun – to have our work recognised and to share our passion for charity retail on a national stage.  

To top off an incredible conference, our very own Chief Executive, Steph Edusei, was awarded ‘The Most Supportive Chief Executive’ at the national Charity Retail Association Awards – amazing!