West Midlands superstore named among UK's best charity shops

Newlife Superstore, on Hemlock Way, in Cannock is one of just six shops in the West Midlands to be shortlisted for the Charity Retail Association’s ‘The UK’s Favourite Charity Shop’ Award.

The competition was inundated with nearly 6,500 nominations for charity shops when it launched earlier this summer as part of the Charity Retail Association’s 25th anniversary celebrations.

For more than 30 years, Newlife Superstore has been wowing savvy shoppers with high street fashion at bargain prices. As a charity shop, all proceeds from Newlife Superstore go towards supporting Newlife The Charity for Disabled Children, the UK’s leading charitable provider of specialist equipment for disabled and terminally ill children. But unlike traditional charity shops, everything sold at Newlife is brand new, donated by well-known High Street retailers.

The second stage of the competition will see nominations go to a public vote. Charity shop fans have until midnight on September 23 to vote for their favourite shop, with the winners from each region to be announced in the coming weeks. The overall winning shop will be presented with The UK’s Favourite Charity Shop Award at a special event in November.

Fiona Robinson, CEO of Newlife, said: “We are delighted that our Cannock Superstore has been nominated as The UK’s Favourite Charity Shop. Our fantastic staff and volunteers work so hard to make the shopping experience at Newlife the best it can be, so it is wonderful to be recognised.”

Robin Osterley, chief executive of the Charity Retail Association said: “We have had a fantastic reception to The UK’s Favourite Charity Shop Award so far and it has been brilliant to see so many people getting involved to share what makes their favourite charity shop so special. Through people sharing in their own words what charity shops mean to them, we have seen some recurring themes that have come up again and again and highlight why charity shops remain so popular in a rapidly changing retail landscape.

“It’s about the friendliness of staff and volunteers; the warm welcome people get when they walk through the door; the sense of community and inclusivity charity shops provide; the massive contribution to sustainable shopping; and the dedication and pride in presentation and variety.

"These unique qualities are what make charity shops stand out to customers and donors."

To see the full shortlist and vote, visit charityretail.org.uk/the-uks-favourite-charity-shop-award.