Caterham town centre to be home of Salvation Army’s 200th shop

Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd (SATCoL) will be celebrating the landmark launch of its 200th shop next week when the doors open in Caterham’s town centre. Members of the local community are encouraged to come along to the shop at 51 Croydon Road in Caterham, Surrey, where the official opening will take place at 10am on Thursday 23 October.

The 200th shop is an important milestone for SATCoL. Since opening its first shop in 1993, and its 100th shop in 2010, the organisation has doubled the size of its network of charity shops in just four years. And through the support of the British public for its shops and recycling schemes, the last four years has seen millions of pounds raised for the vital work of The Salvation Army.

The new shop in the heart of Caterham will be officially opened by Commissioner Clive Adams, leader of The Salvation Army in the UK and Republic of Ireland, following music performed by the charity’s International Staff Band. The shop will be open for business from 10.30am where shoppers will have the opportunity to be the first to rifle through the vast array of bargains on offer. Items up for grabs at the new shop include affordable clothing and accessories from designer brands such as Yves Saint Laurent and Jaeger, as well as high street brands including Next and H&M.

Paul Wright, Head of Retail Operations at SATCoL, commented: “Opening our 200th shop is incredibly exciting and we’re looking forward to celebrating with the Caterham community. Each of our shops plays a vital role by providing affordable goods for local people and raising funds to support The Salvation Army.”

The new shop is calling for local volunteers and the team is holding a Volunteer Open Day from 10am to 2pm on Wednesday 22 October. Anybody interested in becoming a volunteer is encouraged to come along to the shop to learn more about what’s involved.

Manager at the new Caterham shop, Sally Whitlow, said: “Our volunteers are key members of the team in all our shops. Any time you can spare would be a tremendous help, whether it’s a few hours or a few days a week. We are also very grateful for all donations from the public, whether it’s clothes, shoes, accessories or homewares. All we ask is that the items are clean and in good condition, and that no electrical items are included as we cannot safety test them.”

Profit SATCoL receives through the sale of donated items contributes to The Salvation Army’s work with people who are vulnerable and in need across the UK, including homelessness and addiction services, care for older people, help at emergency incidents, support for adult victims of human trafficking in England and Wales and a Family Tracing Service. Over the last five years alone SATCoL has donated over £39.5 million to The Salvation Army.

For more information on SATCoL charity shops visit here