St Luke’s CARES is the latest group to become a Friend of South Leeds Life…
The overarching mission of St Luke’s CARES’ work is to have a positive impact on the local community in South Leeds by helping individuals to identify and overcome barriers which prevent them from achieving their full potential
In an attempt to diversify its income stream and to reach out to the community in an innovative and creative way St Luke’s CARES decided to invest in opening a charity shop in the heart of Beeston. The St Luke’s CARES charity shop opened in summer 2013 and has since provided opportunities for 23 local people to volunteer and gain valuable work experience in order to make meaningful steps towards achieving employment.
“The volunteers are hugely important to the successful running of the shop”, says St Luke’s CARES development worker, Duncan Wells. “We have such a friendly and diverse team ranging from volunteers who are retired teachers to recent school leavers as well as volunteers of differing faith groups and nationalities including Chinese, Spanish and Pakistani. We have also partnered with a local job club to provide 2 individuals with work experience as part of their training”
The shop is located on Beeston Road (247a) and is open 9-5 Monday to Saturday. The shop sells women’s clothes and accessories, children’s and baby clothes, menswear, toys, DVDs, music, games, household ornaments and a whole host of other interesting items. All money raised at the shop gets reinvested back into the local community through funding the delivery of St Luke’s CARES activities.
Some of these activities include:
- Dance Groups and Majorettes
- Young Leaders
- Shine Project (mentoring and supporting girls aged 11-19)
- Active Youth: Providing positive and safe spaces for young people to build friendships (Urban Bar: Beeston, Involve: Hunslet and the multi-use games area in Belle Isle)
St Luke’s CARES also runs HITBase, an IT Adult Education centre which is delivered from a computer suite in St Luke’s Church
To find out more about the work of St Luke’s CARES call 0113 2710766 or visit: www.stlukescares.org.uk
Hello,
I’ve been volunteering at the charity shop since it opened in Beeston, I find it’s a really good way to get to know others in the community and make new friends, as well as gaining skills. I moved to the area not knowing anyone and it’s nice to say I have friends I can now call on and this is all due to St Luke’s CARES charity shop.
Just so other readers are aware, I will be accompanying St Luke’s CARES charity shop to Loulou’s vintage fair on Sunday the 1st of Dec at Leeds Town Hall. We have been saving a lot of the vintage stock that has been donated to the shop, which we will be selling on a stall at the vintage fair, the item’s range from clothes, to vintage games. Please click on the link for more information http://stlukescharityshop.wordpress.com/
Thank you and hope to see more people volunteering in the shop,
Helen =]
Hello,
Can readers please “Like” our new Facebook page, so you can be notified about community and in-shop events we may be having https://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Lukes-CARES-Beeston-Charity-Shop/163268890550835
Thank you again,
Helen =]
Sounds a great organisation – must pop into its shop soon!