About the Shop and how to donate items
Barry Tortoise, the Support Group mascot, has a new fund-raising role: harnessing the awesome power of the Internet and leading auction site eBay to earn much-needed cash for GBSSG.
Working closely with GBSSG member Roy Dennis Barry has set up a virtual shop to sell donated goods to buyers around the world.
The target is to raise £3000 a year, operating along similar lines to the hugely successful operations run in the bricks and mortar world of charity shops that appear on almost every High Street in the land.
Just like those shops, the new venture can only be successful with the support of generous individuals prepared to donate suitable merchandise to the charity. Realistically the donated goods must be small enough and light enough to be easily despatched by mail and should have sufficient inherent value to warrant the considerable effort involved in handling them.
Good potential sellers are:
Decorative or collectable antique and vintage items; clean non-fiction paperback and hardback books including current university texts and references; almost anything relating to dogs or cats; jewellery; good quality coloured glass; genuine branded goods.
The following are inappropriate:
Anything weighing more than 2kgs; clothing; mass market paperback and hardback fiction; run-of-the-mill household items; holiday souvenirs; and damaged goods of any kind.
It is impossible to be too specific at this stage. However, Roy will offer an opinion if details are e-mailed to him.
Gathering material and getting it to Roy and Barry for processing is seen to be the biggest single problem and any logistical help, perhaps at local branch level, will be much appreciated. Liaison is to be through the Sleaford office and/or our treasurer Alan Ross.
For practical reasons Roy and Barry can deal with e-mail communication only: