Celebrity Opens New Dogs Trust Boutique Charity Shop in East Sussex

Presenter and journalist Natasha Kaplinsky OBE did the honours last week by cutting the ribbon at Dogs Trust newest charity shop.

Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, officially opened the doors of its new charity shop (Thursday 26th September) with the help of dog owner and local resident Natasha and her dog Dolly.

The shop on Cliffe High Street in Lewes offers a wide range of pre-loved goods including ladies clothing and accessories, menswear and essential dog products. Savvy shoppers and their canine counterparts can browse the bargains in store together, with all purchases raising vital funds for the charity as well as promoting awareness of the rescue pooches in Dogs Trust care.

The new shop is the second Dogs Trust shop in East Sussex, the other being in St James’s Street, Brighton.  The charity now has 32 shops in England and Wales which have raised £3 million so far this year.  

Carole Carlton Smith, Head of Retail at Dogs Trust said: “We are very excited to open our latest boutique charity shop in Lewes which we hope will fit in well with the vintage, antique and second-hand offerings for which the town is famous.

“With sustainability at the heart of our business, we are hoping to offer an extended life to good quality, nearly new items of clothing, accessories and bric-a-brac which have been kept out of landfill. We offer quality items at a reasonable price and encourage locals to come and have a look around our Lewes shop where they might find something different and completely unique.  

“We would be grateful for donations of quality clothing and accessories, and we are also keen to meet new volunteers who can help us run our attractive little shop.”

Prior to cutting the ribbon Natasha Kaplinsky thanked the crowd that had gathered outside the shop and said: “I’ve done a lot of exciting things in my life, but I think this has to top them all.  We’re here in Lewes, my hometown, and I love dogs - I have a lot of them. This is a brilliant new shop. I’ve had a look around and the quality of the items for sale is really amazing.  I think it’s absolutely wonderful that so many people have come down to show their support.  

“If you’re coming into Lewes to visit the shop, please do rummage around your house and help Dogs Trust fill the shelves with even more amazing products and if you’ve got any spare time, please help by joining the volunteer team.”

With London Fashion Week recently highlighting the importance of sustainable fashion, with pre-loved clothes hitting the catwalk, it’s a top priority within every Dogs Trust charity shop as each shop plays a part in reducing the amount of clothing going to landfill. The shops also support other recycling schemes including textiles and ink cartridges. Within the new store at least 80% of the shop fittings and furniture have been recycled and reused from other shops.  All the lighting is LED so energy efficient. 

The new Dogs Trust charity shop is situated at 43 Cliffe High Street, Lewes, BN7 2AN. The store will be open Monday – Saturday between 9am and 5pm. The shop team is looking for donations of pre-loved items of clothing, accessories and bric-a-brac and welcome items being dropped off any time during opening hours. Anyone interested in volunteering in the shop should pop in for an application form.