Barnstaple’s Boutport Street revitalised thanks to Devon Air Ambulance 'Super' Charity Shop

On Saturday 15th July the new Devon Air Ambulance (DAA) Superstore Charity Shop and Community Hub opened to the waiting public who were keen to see how the charity had transformed this huge retail space into a fashionable and vibrant place to shop. 

The charity’s mascot, Ambrose bear was there to welcome customers along with members of the DAA crew and the Samba Baia Steel Band who gave a superb musical performance to mark the occasion. 

The setting is not only a unique and innovative charity shop but it is also a vibrant Community Hub for local people to gather as well as to shop. The aim behind DAA’s latest retail venture is to foster a sense of belonging in a space dedicated to local people, where they can come together to connect and to support one another. 

Local community groups are invited to meet up, either to enjoy their own interests and crafts such as a knit and natter, or to support the charity by mending donations in need of repair. 

The centrepiece of this community workspace is a large table with seating for ten, which has been set up in memory of Averil Kingdom a much-loved former Devon Air Ambulance employee. It was Averil’s family who were invited to cut the ribbon in her memory and declare this shop well and truly Open for business! 

Averil worked for the charity for 17 years as Manager of the charity’s original Barnstaple shop across the road from the new Community Hub. Sadly, Averil passed away earlier this year. She was well-known within the Barnstaple community for her networking with traders and different local groups while tirelessly raising the profile of Devon Air Ambulance within North Devon. 

By and for the local community 

With a strong focus on sustainability and giving items a second chance, the charity has employed local tradespeople to utilise reclaimed timber and donated materials to complete the shop fit, even the display equipment was donated by their very supportive landlord who has supplied shop fittings from another store that had previously closed, thereby making sure that the charity can make best use of the limited resources. 

The revitalised unit had remained empty for seven years, so it is refreshing to see Devon Air Ambulance playing its part in the regeneration of the town and taking the opportunity to revitalise an area in need of an anchor to draw people to beyond the Barnstaple centre. 

Pete Vallance, Head of Income Generation at Devon Air Ambulance, said: ‘We are absolutely thrilled to Open our new Barnstaple Shop, providing this community with a new space that combines retail, sustainability, and community engagement. Our goal is to help change and revive the high street, creating opportunities for local people, and promoting a more conscious and connected way of living. It’s a charity shop like no other found in Devon. 

'None of this work would have been possible without the kind and generous help of our supporters, whether you volunteer for us, play our lottery, shop in our shops, donate to our shops, give money and support events when you can, or simply keep an eye on our social pages, liking and sharing to help spread the word about our work - you made this happen! Thank You!’ 

In addition to our retail space, we are looking forward to hosting various community events, workshops, and activities designed to engage and inspire the local population. We see our new store as a gathering place where individuals can learn new skills, maybe participate in upcycling initiatives, and enjoy each other’s company. 

The new shop will also be the operational base for the charity’s online charity shop: shopdaat.org, where hundreds more generously donated items are available to purchase. A team of staff and volunteers will manage the e-commerce site from the Barnstaple hub including researching donations, picking, packing and posting the items to their new owners. 

Benefits for North Devon patients 

Not only will this new shop act as a community hub, it also brings benefits to potential patients in North Devon.  

With a space for the charity’s rapid response Critical Care Car at the rear of the unit, the DAA clinical crew will be using this new location as base for their operations, enabling them to be dispatched quickly in the event of an emergency.  

As with the majority of the Devon Air Ambulance charity shops, positioned at the front of the building there is also an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) available for community use 24/7 should anyone need to use it to assist someone in Cardiac Arrest. 

The existing DAA shop located on the opposite side of Boutport Street, which itself is being repurposed as a dedicated bookshop selling an enhanced range of books, media and DVD’s, will remain open. 

If you are a local community group and you are interested in using the community workspace at DAA’s new Barnstaple shop, contact Shop Manager Kevin Brown at k.brown@daat.org for more information. 

It's thanks to kind and generous supporters across Devon and beyond that this life-saving charity continues to deliver expert time-critical care every day of the year. If you feel you can lend your support by making a donation, you will be helping to make a life-saving difference and who knows when we might need them. Donate at www.daat.org