Devon Air Ambulance celebrates their charity shops with ‘More than a shop’ Week.

Devon Air Ambulance (DAA) are proud to be taking part in the Charity Retail Association’s ‘More than a shop’ campaign for 2024. The campaign draws attention to the significance of charity shops in local communities, raising awareness that a charity shop is no regular high street shopping experience – it is so much more.  

DAA welcomes your donations to sell at one of their 20 charity shops or online as part of their income generation, but did you know that DAA shops boast more than just your typical charity shopping experience?  

Pete Vallance, Head of Business Development at DAA said:  

‘Whether it's for that much needed bargain or treat, secondhand shopping is not just an ethical and more affordable choice, but it is actually very trendy right now. We cannot take away the exponential growth that secondhand online sales platforms like vinted, Depop and eBay have shown over recent years, but shoppers still love the shopping experience of a charity shop.

Not only are we committed to pioneering sustainability through our charity shops with projects such as our Mishap Fashion range, but we are also keen to ensure that at the heart of every community we are in, Devon Air Ambulance shops welcome inclusivity and promote a sense of community for all.’ 

Barnstaple Community Hub & Charity Shop 

DAA’s Barnstaple Community Hub & Charity Shop is not only a unique and innovative take on charity retail, but it is also a vibrant Community Hub for local people to gather as well as to shop. The Community Hub aims 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 centerpiece of this community workspace is a large table with seating for ten, which has been set up in memory of Averil Kingdon a much-loved former Devon Air Ambulance employee.  

Located in Boutport Street, near to the town center, the shop and Hub brings new life to preloved items, offering them a second chance to shine, is a community hub for local groups and brings benefits to potential patients in North Devon. With a space for the charity’s rapid response Critical Care Car at the unit’s rear, the DAA clinical crew are using this location as a base for their operations, enabling them to be dispatched quickly in an emergency. 

Pete Vallance added: 

‘The ethos for developing our shops across Devon ensures that we have built local community connections, whether it is a craft table to keep people active in North Devon or a warm space with coffee in Torbay. We believe we have a responsibility to the people of Devon to provide services more than just a shop.

Each of our shops contribute towards our charity’s mission of Saving Lives with public use defibrillators installed at or close to the shops and available 24/7.’ 

A place to unwind with a coffee:

In 2023, DAA partnered with Owens Organic Coffee® to bring Crew's Brew - a bold and full-bodied coffee that you can purchase at the high street charity shops and online.  

The St. Marychurch charity shop near Torquay is not just a place for a great cup of coffee, but also a community gathering spot where locals can unwind and connect with others while showing their support to the local charity.

Vintage fashion: DAA’s unique vintage and variety shops 

If you are a lover of all things vintage, retro, enchanting and intriguing, then Devon Air Ambulance has the perfect charity shops for you to shop and explore. 

The charity’s two Vintage and Varity charity shops, one in Dartmouth and one in Topsham, welcome shoppers to enjoy a distinctive shopping experience that invites you to take a step back in time.  

The Dartmouth and Topsham shops are vintage clothing shops with strong collections of crockery, books, ornaments, some smaller items of furniture and other miscellaneous objects and curios that are arranged into artful compositions by staff and volunteers. 

Pete said: ‘Our vast range of charity shops not only add to the vibrancy of local high streets, but they support the charity’s life-saving mission by raising funds to enable us to continue responding to those in need of critical prehospital care. By shopping in a Devon Air Ambulance charity shop, you are not only supporting sustainability, but you will be donating to a cause that is 100% funded by donations so that we can be there for anyone in need.’ 

More than a shop Week is 22 – 29 April 2024 and throughout the week Devon Air Ambulance is encouraging supporters to consider shopping at and, if having a spring clean at home, making donations to their local Devon Air Ambulance charity shop.  

To find out more about DAA’s charity shops, and find your local store, visit the website here: https://www.daat.org/Pages/FAQs/Category/shop-locations