Subject: Can I start my own charity shop?

Hi Paul, do you mean that you want to set up a new charity shop from scratch to raise money for the charity you work for?

Hi, I want to open a shop for myself but give the profits to a charity that I support as a individual.. I work in a charity shop at present as a volunteer but I would love to have my own shop or out let. I just want advice and help on obtaining premises, rates, letting etc

Thanks Paul

have you considered contacting the Charity Retail Association?

This would be their area of expertise - they have quite a lot of resources.

http://www.charityretail.org.uk/

hi paul,

did you get any where with this?

im trying to do the same thing.

i contacted the chrity retail . org but they said they only help chairties and you cant set up a shop as a chairty according to the charity commision.

i've been looking in to this same thing and am getting a little lost, but i think you have two options:

1 becoming a non-profit organisation that donates

or

2 setting up your own chairty then a shop to raise money for your own cause

would be interested in finding out how you got on with this,

paul

Hi

ive been reading all your comments. I am interested in starting my own charity. i would like it too be non profit and just an outlet or maybe some sort of weekly stall i could do that would donate the money for charity. can some one give me some advice on jow i go about this please

hi can anyone tell me if i set up a shop,is it required by law for all stock to be donated or can i buy stock in

i my name is sukhpal i want to open a charity shop in my own garge and i have things to sell at home. and would that be possible and its going to be own my dads name in his memories.

In answer to the various questions about setting up charity shops. I looked at the Charity Retail Association's FAQs and they say the following:

"Setting up and running a charity shop is a complex undertaking, and one which should not be entered into lightly: they are a good method of raising awareness and funds for a charity, but not a simple one. You will find that you are faced with the same issues as someone running a small business - such as security, health & safety and trading law - as well as problems specific to the sector, such as where to get your stock and your volunteer workforce. If you are an individual wishing to set up a charity shop and donate the proceeds (or part of the proceeds) to charity, the Association recommends that you seek legal advice."

It's a pity that the people here cannot get together to help each other to start up a shop.  I realise a stumbling block would be proximity to each other.  I would like to set up a charity shop too having become disillusioned with the attitude of the charity I volunteer for and feeling I could do so much better but on a much smaller scale.  However,  I would initially make it an 'online' shop, selling through ebay, Amazon etc.  I don't want an income from it and just want to raise money for my chosen charities but I don't want to go through all the red-tape of setting up a shop.  But I also don't want to end up paying tax on what I raise.

I wonder if anyone of these charity shop entrepreneurs  have got anywhere. I'm exporing opening a retail shop (already a charity, east midlands) and want some basic sources of data to help with research?