Press Release

Download the full Press Release here

Charity Retail Ireland are proud to announce Charity Retail Week 2024. The move away from fast fashion is gathering pace and, during Charity Retail Week 2024, we will be building the awareness of your local charity shop as a fashion destination. Our twin themes for Charity Retail Week 2024 are the Power of People and Preparing for the Future. As well as a national Gathering in Portlaoise, we will be holding 3 regional events in Belfast, Cork and Galway. New this year is the Fashion Fix Competition which will enable our members to showcase how charity shops can provide an alternative to fast fashion at less cost

We are very grateful to Cookstown Textile Recyclers (CTR) who are the main sponsor for Charity Retail Week this year. CTR is Ireland’s largest textile recycling company of more than 20 years. CTR works closely with charities, government bodies and waste management organisations, both locally and nationally, to divert used clothes and textiles from landfill.

The Power of People
The Power of People theme will be showcased with a commissioned video. This will feature real people telling their stories about how their work or interaction with a charity shop has impacted their lives. The video shows volunteers, CE/TUS workers, shop and area managers and, of course, customers talking about their role in charity retail. This video will spark a discussion with our delegates at The Gathering in Portlaoise on 24th April.

Preparing for the Future
As we move towards a more circular economy, consuming less, buying better quality and reusing and repairing our clothes, what are the challenges for charity retail? At our events in Cork and Galway we will be looking at these challenges, identifying solutions and the support that we need as a sector to address the issues coming down the tracks.  Some of areas we will discuss are:

  • Second hand and mainstream retail markets, where are they now?
  • What are the facts about how much we buy and how can we consume less?
  • How will the separate collection of textiles (by taking them out of the waste stream) affect charity retail?

The Gathering The Power of People – Portlaoise
At the Gathering on 24th April at the Midlands Park Hotel we will be launching our video The Power of People. This will prompt conversations about our members’ own experiences and the social impact that charity retail has on each one of them, their local communities, their charities, and our social impact in the wider community.

We will be holding our heartwarming and much anticipated Annual Awards ceremony. This is an opportunity to celebrate the unsung heroes who run our charity shops throughout the country. We will be recognising the value and contribution of our volunteers, shop teams and shop managers and choosing the best shop windows and online presence. Judged by a team of external industry experts, this event brings us all together in a joyful, and sometimes tearful, event.

It is summarised by Mark Sweeney, Chair of CRI, at a previous ceremony:

“We are here today to reward the people who make sure charities benefit from their retail operations. These are our managers, our volunteers and our shop teams. Without them, there is no charity retail in Ireland. We are here to recognise and to celebrate those people who make a difference.” 

At this event we will also be launching our Charity Retail Impact Report 2023 which highlights the economic, social and environmental value of the charity retail sector. Every year Charity Retail Ireland conducts a survey with its members to evaluate how shops deliver on the triple bottom line principles. 

Charity Shops provide a unique example of the Triple Bottom Line concept. They provide financial benefits by providing a source of funding for charities who support the most marginalised people in our communities and seek to advocate on their behalf. They have enormous social benefits, providing local employment and training opportunities, for example, community employment schemes. The volunteering opportunities in charity shops can provide a route back to employment for those distant from the workforce as well as providing a sense of purpose and community. Finally, charity shops have a significant role in reducing the environmental impact of the textile industry. They allow textiles and other goods to remain in use for longer, contributing to the circular economy.

Regional meetings

Northern Region Event Come and Meet Charity Retail Ireland – Belfast
This networking event on Monday 22nd April at NICVA in Belfast 10am – 1pm is an opportunity to find out about Charity Retail Ireland, and what CRI can offer a charity based in Northern Ireland. We will kick off the event by showing our video The Power of People. This features our members’ own experiences and the social impact that charity retail has on each one of them, their local communities, their charities, and our social impact in the wider community. 

A speaker from Volunteer Now will talk about how to attract and retain volunteers. 

Hosted by our Chair, Mark Sweeney of Oxfam Ireland, this will be an informal learning and networking event.

Come and meet us over a coffee and find out what Charity Retail Ireland can offer you.

Western Region Event Preparing for the Future – Galway
Southern Region Event Preparing for the Future – Cork
This networking and workshop event will be held on 23rd April at the Harbour Hotel 10am – 1pm and on 25th April at 22 Sullivan’s Quay 10am – 1pm. 

We will kick off the event by showing our video The Power of People. This features our members’ own experiences and the social impact that charity retail has on each one of them, their local communities, their charities, and our social impact in the wider community.

Preparing for the Future
Through an interactive presentation delivered by Linda Ward, Secretary CRI, we will identify the challenges that face the charity retail sector today and in the future. We will come up with solutions to address them and determine what support we need as a sector to implement these solutions. 

Hosted by our Susan Kirrane, Anam Croí, this will be an informal learning and networking event.

Fashion Fix – a competition for CRI members
Kindly Sponsored by The Midlands Park Hotel

This new competition for Charity Retail Week 2024 will enable our members to showcase how charity shops can provide an alternative to fast fashion at less cost. And there’s a great prize of an overnight stay at the Midlands Park Hotel for the lucky overall winner. 

Our members will showcase their fashion skills in this fun competition by curating outfits in four categories.

  • Workwear
  • Partywear
  • Holidaywear 
  • Festival fashion

We have a crack team of judges to decide the The Fashion Fix category winners. They are:

The Fashion Fix category winners will feature on our socials from Monday to Thursday in Charity Retail Week.  A public poll on Friday 26th April will decide the overall winner and the result will be announced on Saturday 27th April.

For more information please contact:

Mark Sweeney, Chair, Charity Retail Ireland
Email: chair@charityretail.ie
Mobile: 086 877 3335

Download the full Press Release here

About Charity Retail Ireland
Charity Retail Ireland is the all island representative body for charities who operate in the retail space to the triple bottom line, having a significant financial, social and environmental impact. We are funded by our charity members and through corporate partnerships. Our members range from large national charities to local, community based charities and our 43 members operate over 420 shops on the island of Ireland. All our members are registered with the Charities Regulator or the Charity Commission of Northern Ireland. All members have also signed up to our Code of Charity Retailing as a condition of their membership.