Customers wearing a Halloween costume will receive a £5 voucher if they visit a charity shop in Finsbury Park on Saturday the 31st. Shop from Crisis raises money for the homeless.
The aim of the Halloween vouchers, which can be spent in store until December 31st, is to raise awareness of homelessness and encourage the community to celebrate Halloween.
Shop manager Esther Phelpotts believes it’s important to organise Covid-friendly events: “The staff and volunteers will be in fancy dress, Uncle Fester will be manning the door, keeping it safe by making sure we only have 15 customers in at one time. We will be playing spooky tunes and making pumpkin spiced lattes.”
Shop from Crisis, on Stroud Green Road, is a melting pot of vintage clothes, pre-loved books and a coffee bar. Safety during the pandemic is of the utmost importance to Crisis: “We’ve put a lot of effort into not only the physical aspects of safety, but also in communicating this with customers.”
For Phelpotts, the pandemic has increased the amount of support her store has received. “Due to everyone clearing out during lockdown, we had tonnes of amazing donations. We love our jobs, the area and the community.”
Crisis believes contributions to their charity are more important now than ever, as the pandemic has increased the number of people sleeping on London’s streets. According to figures from the Greater London Authority, 4,227 people were sleeping rough in London between April and June this year, of which 63% were doing so for the first time.
Money spent in the shop funds Crisis services; its wider aim being to end homelessness across Great Britain. The Crisis shops also offer employment opportunities for homeless people who want to work in the retail industry.
