Radius Residents Raise Charity Funds

Residents of Glen Fold in Newcastle have raised the huge sum of £2,800 in support of local charities through their ‘honesty’ charity shop. Six local charities are now sharing the funds, which will help them deliver vital services to the community. 

Glen Fold charity shop is run on a voluntary basis by tenants of Glen Fold, and sells clothes, shoes, books and bric-a-brac. Tenants, their families and friends both donate and buy from the shop which raises funds for the good causes. The shop is opened 7 days a week from 8:00am - 5:30pm and is located on the first floor of Glen Fold in Newcastle. All of the money raised from the shop goes directly to the charities. The shop has only been open 18 months but has been able to raise £2,800 in this time.

The six charities who have benefited from the fundraising to date are Search and Rescue Dogs Association (SARDA), Good Morning Down, RNLI, Mountain Rescue, K9 Search & Rescue and First Responders, Kilkeel.

Speaking about the honesty shop, Glen Fold tenant Siobhan Lyons said: 

“At Glen Fold we are a close little community, and we always share ideas on activities we could do. Many of these are about helping the local community in some way, so when the idea of creating a charity shop, where items which weren’t needed anymore could find a new home, we all got behind it right away. Running this honesty shop has been great for everyone here, and it has been a huge success.”

Another tenant, Suzanne Oldfield, added: 

“We have all put so much in to making this shop work, from gathering items to each of us doing our shift. But we are still amazed that we have been able to raise so much money for so many wonderful charities. We chose them because they all play a really important role in the Newcastle community, and we are thankful to everyone who has shown support for them by visiting our shop.”

Charlene Jennings, Scheme Co-ordinator, Glen Fold, Radius, praised the work and generosity of the volunteers:

“Working with the tenants of Glen Fold, I know just how generous and committed they are to the local community. But what we have seen with the honesty charity shop is really incredible. They have taken this idea and made it into something which is really giving back to the community and supporting local charities. The commitment they have and the time they put in to make this a success is very special, and I am so proud of all of them.”

Notes: 

Glen Fold  offers apartment style accommodation specifically designed for over 55s who want to live independently with the reassurance of 24 hour support.  Located in the picturesque seaside town of Newcastle, Co. Down the accommodation boasts easy access to local shops, churches, library, supermarket, leisure facilities, restaurants and public transport.

Radius Housing provide a range of housing, care and support options for families, single people, couples and the over 55’s. With over 100 Sheltered Living Schemes and 13,500 family homes throughout the province, there is a Radius presence in almost every city and major town in Northern Ireland.

Radius also offer a range of specialist care and support facilities for the frail elderly, people with dementia, people with learning disabilities and people with complex needs such as homeless people and victims of domestic violence.

For more information on Sheltered Schemes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD8sJIcODS4