The Retail Trust has today launched a Twitter campaign, using hashtag #highstheroes, to raise funds for retail staff and shopkeepers affected by the UK riots.
Retail Trust CEO Nigel Rothband says: “We have already had a number of people who have nothing directly to do with retail contacting us to see if they can fundraise or help out the retail sector specifically, images of which have dominated the media in terms of headline grabbing devastation."
In response, it has set up the twitter campaign to raise awareness of how people can help. Information on the #highstheroes hashtag include stories on planned fundraising activity by members of the public and details on how to give to the Retail Trust.
Also, there is an eBay campaign to raise funds for the Retail Trust's campaign.
A t-shirt which bears the slogan 'They couldn't break our spirit then and you can't break it now!' is being sold on eBay for £9.99, 25 per cent of the sale price of every t-shirt sold is being donated directly to the Retail Trust for shops and staff affected by riots.
The Retail Trust, which is the UK’s only charity which supports people working in retail, is experiencing a fourfold increase in calls to its helpline and visitors to its website have increased tenfold.
PDSA charity shops hit in Coventry and Ealing
Meanwhile, there have been more reports of charity shops which have been affected by rioting this week.
A PDSA charity shop in Radford, Coventry was ransacked on Monday night. Wendy Lucas, a sales & stock assistant at the store said nothing was stolen, but windows were broken and five free-standing rails of clothes were shoved to the floor.
“There were clothes all over the place,” she said. “But we cleared it up and were able to open on Monday at 10.30am”
Another PDSA store has also reportedly been attacked in West Ealing. According to the community website West Ealing Neighbours, the PDSA charity shop and Salvation Army had their windows smashed on Monday night.
The worst hit charity store in the Ealing area appears to be an Oxfam music shop which was damaged by rioters on Monday.
An Oxfam spokesman said: “The shop window and door have been broken, and there is some water damage from fire engine hoses. We cannot yet assess the level of damage or loss, as a building fire close to the shop has caused the entire building to be declared unsafe at present.
"The shop team are safe and unharmed, but as most live locally, they have gone through a shocking ordeal this week. The team are rallying round and we hope to re-open the shop as soon as possible.”
