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We have a network of twelve charity shops in the UK, including two second hand furniture stores. We strive to provide quality items at genuine charity shop prices to support local communities. Two of our shops, which are in areas with high levels of social deprivation, have most items of clothing available for only £1. Maxine from our Chadsmoor shop, pictured above, says: “The shop is really part of the local community, we have lots of regular customers who come in for a chat as well as to shop. A lot of people in the village are struggling with the cost of living and really appreciate our reasonable prices.”
Our shops offer a Christian presence on the high street, including free Christian books and literature, with some shops also holding prayer meetings. The prayer room at our Mill Hill Charity shop is pictured below left.
Click here to find your nearest International Aid Trust charity shop. You’ll receive a warm welcome from our wonderful staff and volunteers!
Volunteering with International Aid Trust has provided valuable work experience and social opportunities for many people. Within our charity shops and warehouse we welcome volunteers with additional needs with their own support / carers. We are also able to support people who are getting their lives back on track, providing volunteering opportunities for people who are part of the Community Pay Back scheme, in some of our charity shops and at the warehouse.
The photo above right shows our Ukrainian ambassador Viktoriia with volunteers from the local Ukrainian community. We are very glad to be able to work with Ukrainians in the UK to support their homeland, and we have also been able to provide volunteering opportunities for refugees from other countries.
Click here to find our more about volunteering with us.
Since the beginning of the Ukraine war, Trustee Lennie Fisher has led our support for Ukrainian refugees arriving in the UK, by linking up with sponsors, helping with visas, meeting them at the airport and supporting them with any problems.
As part of our UK ministry we take referrals from other charities such as Christians Against Poverty and from local authorities, schools, churches, domestic violence refuges and refugee support groups. We are able to support people in crisis with furniture, household equipment, clothes, food and even shoebox gifts. Our West Lancs Co-ordinators, Rev. Dave and Gill are pictured with Family Gift Boxes, packed by one of our supporting groups, that they distributed to local families in need.
We thank God for all of our UK staff, volunteers and supporters, for their work helping people locally and overseas. We are working towards the development of a Community Hub upstairs at our Headquarters in Chorley. We pray that it will be a resource and a blessing for the local community.
