Social Value

£7.53B

Social value generated by charity in 2022

7.35%

Social Return on Investment ratio £7.35 for every £1

339K

Tonnes of items diverted from landfill by charity shops

1700+

Number of charity shops nationwide that can accept The Charity Shop Gift card

According to the Charity Retail Association’s research, ‘The Value of Giving Back,’ the charity retail sector generated £7.53 billion in social value in 2022 with a Social Return on Investment of £7.35 for every £1 invested in charity shops.

Conducted with Social Value UK, aligning to the International Principles of Social Value and in accordance with the SROI framework published by the Cabinet Office of the UK Government, a stakeholder-informed approach was used to show the social value generated. This gave unprecedented insight into the the impact charity retail has, not only for its parent charities, but for the people in our communities who engage with those charity shops; staff, volunteers, customers, and donors.

For organisations switching from traditional high street vouchers to The Charity Shop Gift Card when providing financial assistance, the research serves to highlight how important those funds can be in generating social value and supporting countless people in the communities they support.

We trust that the insights from this report will help the charity retail sector in demonstrating their immense value to our societies, and be a tool to maximise the positive social value created also in the future.

-Charlotte Österman - Private Sector Lead for Social Value UK

Key Social Value benefits

COMMUNITY

Reflective of their communities in terms of pricing and goods, charity shops go further; from employing local people and offering volunteering opportunities to providing signposting or free hospice care. Charity shops are vital community hubs that serve their local residents, charities and other organisations, and promote social cohesion.

eCONOMY

The Charity Shop Gift Card sees citizens, councils and service users support the local circular economy. Charity shops are thriving in our towns; occupying vacant properties (whether on high streets or retail parks) and increasing footfall to those areas, providing job and helping to reduce landfill tax by diverting waste.

ENVIRONMENT

Substituting provision of new goods for preloved, can help reduce carbon emissions associated with the purchase of new, mass produced items. Charity shops help divert around 339,000 tonnes of waste from landfill every year, and reduce the need for bulky waste collections by local authorities.

Join the circular economy

  • Choice, quality & value for money
  • Services in the community i.e. hospices
  • Promote sustainability
  • Signposting
  • Local: high street, employer, community
  • Donate used goods to charity shops
  • Want to benefit the environment
  • Support local charities
  • Volunteer opportunities
  • Can donate to fundraisers for support sector cards
  • Want to support vulnerable members of the community
  • Choice
  • Dignity
  • Value for money
  • Access to communities that centre around charity shops
  • Social value
  • ESG
  • Choice, quality and value for money
  • Strengthens communities
  • Social enterprise
  • Generates income for charity shops
  • Fulfilment options for support agencies
  • Choice, quality and value for money
  • Strengthens communities

More than a shop

Spending gift cards in mainstream retailers can be faceless and transactional, and they are not always well placed to deal with potentially vulnerable customers. Recipients of The Charity Shop Gift Card benefit from accessing charity shops so much more, as highlighted by our partner the Charity Retail Association.

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