A charity hoping to raise £100,000 to complete building an Afghan school for underprivileged children opened a shop on Caledonian Road last Saturday.
POP UP 38 is selling designer and vintage clothing, shoes and art to help raise money for Lapis Lazuli Schools, a charity set up in 2008 to make full time education more accessible to Afghan children.
Both local designers and Central St Martin’s students have contributed stock and samples of their work to the shop with discounted deals. Of these sales 30 percent will be donated to the charity.
Lapis Lazuli Schools plan to use profits made from the shop to finish building the school in Kabul, which has 300 male and female students.
Chair of Lapis Lazuli Schools and local resident, Naomi Brons-Harper, hopes to build a new science lab and 12 heating stoves in the school if the shop is successful.
She said: “It’s very beautiful work that goes on in the school. The students are very keen to learn, and have already won prizes nationally for high achievements because they are so motivated.”
“We have already raised £80,000 through local projects, but I really need to raise £100,000 for the school. Hopefully the clothes are going to transfer into stoves.”
POP UP 38 was set up temporarily in a vacant shop and will close in February 2013.