As the high street starts to reopen, Edinburgh & the Lothians Samaritans are delighted to be opening the first Samaritans’ charity shop in Scotland.
As the high street starts to reopen, Edinburgh & the Lothians Samaritans are delighted to be opening the first Samaritans’ charity shop in Scotland.
The shop, located at 136 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, had been all ready to open in March until COVID19 closed the high street meaning the big unveil had to wait. Everyone is delighted that the shop will open its doors on Tuesday 30th June at 10am.
The idea of a charity shop was made possible through a generous legacy left to the branch. Keen to invest the money back into the community, a group of volunteers, led by Lynn Abernethy, have turned a dream into reality.
Lynn said: ‘It costs on average £65K per annum to keep the Branch operating 24/7 365 days a year, providing vital support, even more so in today’s climate. It was felt if we could provide a guaranteed income to the Branch it would allow the Listening Volunteers to concentrate on the extraordinary work that they do and it is wonderful to see it all come to fruition.’
As well as being one of the first charity shops to reopen in Edinburgh, the Branch of Samaritans in Edinburgh, have continued to provide emotional support throughout the pandemic at a time when listening to others has never been more important.
Nigel, Edinburgh’s Director said: 'Edinburgh Samaritans opened in the city over 60 years ago and has been there for all our callers 24/7 ever since. On Tuesday 30th June a new chapter for our charity begins with our shop. Not only will the shop help sustain our ability to continue to be there for those who need our support, but it also provides an opportunity to work within the city centre community. Please do come and visit us!”
With all the systems in place to for a safe shopping environment, shop manager, Kylie and her team are looking forward to opening the door and welcoming people in. The shop will be open Tuesday to Sunday, each week.
The opening ties in with the start of July, which is Samaritans’ national awareness month, where volunteers and supporters are raising awareness of the charity, who are there to support callers who are struggling to cope. Anyone can contact Samaritans for free any time from any phone on 116 123, even a mobile without credit, or you can email [email protected].