Charity donation storeroom 'empty for first time'

A manager said there were fewer donations and an increased demand on the charity shop in Denton Holme

A charity shop manager said he was left shocked after a storeroom stood empty for what he believed was the first time.

Andy Blake, from OpShop, in Denton Holme, Carlisle, "urgently" called for donations as the lack of clothes and bric-a-brac was resulting in gaps in the store.

Funds go towards the Cornerstone community coffee bar next door, whose events and support has been described as a "lifesaver for the lonely and isolated".

Mr Blake believed the cost of living crisis was to blame, resulting in an increase in purchases and a fall in donations.

"Our storage is empty. There's nothing on the shelves at all. So when a donation comes in, we literally price it up there and then and put it on to shop floor," Mr Blake said.

He said Thursday was "the first day possibly ever" where there were no clothes in the storeroom to sort.

"I've never seen anything like that," he said.

The charity shop has been running in Denton Holme for 32 years

Mr Blake said more people were selling unwanted items online or keeping their belongings for longer to "get as much use out of them because they haven't got the money to purchase replacements".

"And we're noticing there's definitely been an increase in charity shop shopping because people know they can get good quality items at an affordable price," he added.

The shop posted an appeal on social media asking for donations, which saw dozens of comments and shares in just a few hours.

"It's been really encouraging," Mr Blake said, adding: "We've had messages on there from people saying, 'I'm gonna go up to my attic now and and do a sort out'.

"We have had people this morning [Friday] saying, 'I've seen your appeal, here's a couple of bags', and we do really appreciate it."

Cornerstone is run by volunteers and hosts free community events, including a free breakfast which sees 50 to 60 people come along to eat and "beat loneliness".

"Some people spend all day here, they'll come and have a coffee. There's absolutely no pressure for people to spend any money," he added.