00:00Here in the North East, numerous stores sell vintage items ranging from clothes to shoes,
00:05bags and jewellery. Vintage shops enable customers to create a unique style, connect with the past,
00:11share stories and contribute to environmental sustainability. In North Tyneside, a community
00:17interest company is taking that to the next level. Located on Walls Ends High Street,
00:22Tyneside Community Store's mission is to empower and relieve families in Tyneside
00:27and the surrounding areas living in poverty. We spoke with Shakira, one of the directors and
00:32founder of Walls End Community Store. There's a huge demand for reduced price items in the area.
00:42We also run the region's largest baby bank and we're affiliated with the Baby Bank Alliance
00:47and that's what happens behind the scenes. What we operate here is a hybrid store so we have a
00:53community-based store where everything is extremely affordable but also behind the scenes we have a
00:58huge baby bank. We supply the entire region but more specifically the Walls End area.
01:06While of course there are brilliant charity shops around the North East supporting amazing causes,
01:11Tyneside Community Store is different in the sense that they offer direct support
01:15in-house by supplying essential items to ensure that every child's basic needs are met from birth.
01:22From necessities like nappies and baby formula to safety items such as stair gates and prams,
01:28clothing and toys. In collaboration with the local community they facilitate the donation of pre-loved
01:35essentials from one family to another. They even make sure school children have free uniforms and proper
01:40footwear. This system they have in place creates a cycle of self-sustainability around Tyneside.
01:48The area, the people who live in the area around here are really community-driven and supportive of each
01:54other. Everyone wants to see each other do well. They like to look out for each other's families.
01:59They're really happy to donate goods knowing that they're staying locally and they're providing an
02:04immediate relief to families who need their service in the area. Because of where we're based,
02:10we're extremely well supported. We receive anything up to a ton of donations per day,
02:15which then need to be processed, turned around, checked, cleaned and put into the store.
02:22And the store also doubles up as a huge warehouse facility. So instead of having a different
02:27warehouse, everything that is in the store is completely free for everyone who's referred here.
02:32So all day long you'll hear my phone just ping, ping, ping and their referral's coming in.
02:36So there'll be health visitors. You've just missed a midwife there who's been along to collect a free
02:41pushchair for a baby. And then obviously people come shopping here all day long. Whether or not they're
02:48coming because they need to save money or they're coming because they just want to support a local
02:54charity. We have a huge variety of people who shop here.
Comments