Charity business down

The current recession has seen a decline in charitable donations, new research shows.

Oxfam announced today donations to its shops are down by 12 per cent already this year, and claim a total of 1.2 million fewer donations could be made in 2009. At present, the charity claims more than 80 per cent of its total income from its shops comes from donations from the public of clothes, books, music, household wares and other goods.Oxfam suggests the fall in donations demonstrates wider trends resulting from the credit crunch with families tightening their belts and buying less, meaning they replace less and therefore have less to donate to charity shops. With the housing market in decline also, fewer people are moving house, which has seen a "huge" drop in donations of household items.

Oxfam's director of trading, David McCullough, said: "The £20 million profit made by our shops last year would be enough to fund all of Oxfam's work in DR Congo, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia and Somalia for a year. But we can't sell fresh air, and they of course rely on the generosity of the public for their stock. Without continued donations of everything from clothing to cookware, Oxfam shops could not continue to play such a key role in communities across the UK. Whether it's a pair of trousers or a pair of curtains, we can use it to make money and help people all over the world," he said.

APA Note – Why not spend some time this weekend sorting out the cupboards and drawers and taking those unwanted items along to your favourite Charity Shop. Or better still organise a company event and send the proceeds to the APA’s Charity of the Year – Breast Cancer Care.

Aimee Lewis FAPA