Our Charity Shops

Our four charity shops located in Galashiels, Kelso and Hawick currently provide the single biggest contribution to our funding each year. With the dedication of our volunteers and the continued generosity of those who donate goods, we can offer an exciting and ever-changing supply of good quality items at very reasonable prices. From books and CDs to fashion and electrical, you can grab a bargain and do good at the same time.

Our charity shops are open Monday – Saturday, 10am – 4pm

Environmental Benefits of Charity Shops

Promotes re-use
Our charity shops provide a sustainable and ethical option when you need to dispose of unwanted clothes, books, furniture, and other household items. We always aim to ensure your items are re-used by selling them on.

Promotes recycling
The next most sustainable option is to recycle. If we cannot sell an item, we will, where feasible, recycle it via a textile recycler. Generally, we can reuse or recycle more than 90% of donated clothing, over 90% of donated books and 85% of donated electrical goods.

Reduces landfill
By boosting re-use and recycling, we are helping to reduce waste that ends up in landfill. In 2018/19, 339,000 tonnes of textiles alone were kept out of landfill because of UK charity retail (figures from Charity Retail Association, 2023).

Slows down fast fashion
The charity retail sector is not only built on sustainable principles, but it provides clothing to people at a price they can afford. This provides market competition to “fast fashion” outlets – those who sell mass produced items imported from around the world – on the high street, and gives consumers the option to buy clothes sustainably, whatever their budget.

Donating Items to Our Shops

Please check your donations areclean and functional. Unsaleable items of clothing and textiles will be collected by our chosen textile recycler to be recycled, we still receive a small payment for these.

It is best to call first and check before bringing inlarge number of bags (our shops have very limited storage space and sometimes we are unable to accept donations) or electrical appliances. If you are unsure about your donation, it’s always best to check first.
Take your bag(s) of saleable clothing, bric a brac, toys, books etc into one of our four shops and ask a staff-member where they would like you to leave them. Do not leave your donations outside the shop or in doorways.

If you are a UK taxpayer, you may be asked if you want to Gift Aid your donation: this means that we can receive an extra 25p from the Government, for every £1 we raise from selling your goods.

Borders Pet Rescue is a member of the Charity Retail Association.