Covid has cost us £10m a month

Charites have been among the hardest hit by the impact of Covid-19 and, as the British Heart Foundation Cymru (BHF) reopened their Welshpool shop today, they have revealed that the lockdown has cost them £10m a month in lost revenue.

The charity fears that it could impact its future funding for research and is urging local residents to support its recovery from the crisis.

The shop on Broad Street (pictured) is one of 34 BHF shops in Wales that has been closed since March and is now calling on the local community to support by donating good quality items or popping in to snap up a bargain.

Every item donated and sold will help raise vital funds for research with 340,000 people in Wales reportedly living with heart and circulatory diseases.

BHF Welshpool’s shop manager Russell Vaughan, said: “Our charity shops run purely on the support of the public, which is why we appreciate every customer who shops with us. Every item we sell helps fund our vital research.”

BHF shops and stores will have new measures in place to keep staff, volunteers and customers safe. This includes social distancing on the shop floor, protective equipment for staff and volunteers, and the contact free collection and processing of donated items.

In line with Government advice and to keep customers safe, all donations given to the BHF will now be rested for 72 hours before being placed on the shop floor. Customers will also be able to donate at new contact-free donation points set up at every BHF shop entrance.

For larger donations to BHF home stores, donors will be able to book a free collection service online from July 27. All pick-ups will be contact-free. For smaller donations, the BHF has also launched a new postal donation service, making it even easier to donate without hitting the high street.

The charity explained that £16 worth of donations can support an early career scientist in carrying out an hour’s research and £25 gives a researcher an hour’s access to equipment. If a donation raised £100, this would fund a DNA extraction kit to identify genes linked to heart and circulatory diseases.