Inverurie's newest charity shop officially opened to the public this week (Monday June 20) with a ribbon-cutting ceremony carried out by some of the local people with learning disabilities who will be supported to work there.
North-east charity Inspire has now opened its Inspire...By Charity Shop & Workshop on Market Place, next door to the Ashvale Restaurant and McLeish's Convenience Store.
The store actually began trading on June 8, with Monday's ceremony marking the official opening of what is Inspire's third Inspire...By charity shop in Aberdeenshire, following on from the success of premises in Huntly and Stonehaven in recent years.
The Inspire...By model provides support to local people with learning disabilities and additional support needs to develop employability skills through operating the till, dealing with customers, sorting stock and making bespoke gifts to sell. It also provides a base for those who attend the service to make use of local facilities and play an active role in their community.
Inspire Chief Executive Linda Gray said: "We have been overwhelmed by the positive reaction to the shop from the local community since we opened and have been really busy with customers. We have also been inundated with donations and kind wishes which have been fantastic. We have seen in the other locations where we operate Inspire...By shops, the positive difference that being right at the heart of the community can make to the confidence and self-esteem of the people who attend the service and this is something we are already seeing replicated in the early stages here in Inverurie.
"As well as providing us with the opportunity to establish the charity shop element of our Inspire...By model within Inverurie for the first time, this new building also features a far larger day service activity space than our previous base in the town. This opens up the possibility for us to expand the activities we can offer as well as to run community events and added-value sessions for the people we support, such as Supper Clubs or movie screenings, bingo, arts and crafts etc. in the future."
Inspire...By Inverurie is open Monday-Saturday - 9.30am-5pm and any donations of unwanted clothes, shoes, books, toys, bric-a-brac, small furniture, electrical goods etc. can be dropped off during these times.
Further information about Inspire is available at www.inspireptl.org.uk