A FLAGSHIP £1 charity store which raises money for cancer research in Oxford’s Botley Road has been so successful the idea could be rolled out nationwide.

The Cancer Research UK shop, which is based on the site of the former MFI and Halfords stores, has raised £87,000 since opening on August 12.

The outlet store, which sells items for £1, is part of a pilot project for the charity.

And its success could spark Cancer Research UK to open similar large outlets across the country.

Store manager Jason Moody, from Southmoor, said: “They are talking of opening one in Scotland and another one in England.

“They will probably want to roll it out more widely, it has been really successful.”

Assistant manager Rosie Dennington, 22, from Eynsham, said: “It’s different to other charity shops because it is a warehouse.

“We work in big quantities for low prices, and people tend to buy a lot. Other charity shops have a bad reputation for being overpriced.

“We manage to shift a lot.”

Helen Johnstone from Cancer Research UK confirmed that the charity was searching for other locations to set-up across the country following the success of the Oxford store.

She said: “It has worked so well that we have already opened a similar £1 outlet and donation station just outside Edinburgh and are certainly looking for more suitable spaces across the UK.”

The Botley Road store has had about 120,000 items of clothing, books, crockery and other items dropped off and processed since it opened.

It has between 20 and 40 bin liner bags full of donations handed in every day.

However, the future of the store in its current location is uncertain as Waitrose hopes to knock down the existing buildings to put up a 24,500sq ft shop with 150 car parking spaces, creating 160 jobs.

A planning application for the proposal is due to be submitted later this month.

Mr Moody, 37, said: “The locals like it and I think they would be sad to see it go but we are looking for somewhere else in Oxfordshire.

“We could definitely do this again, but it’s finding the right location which is difficult.”

Currently four paid staff and 10 volunteers work at the charity shop.

But the team is looking for more volunteers to lend a hand. Mr Moody added: “We are always looking for more helpers, there is a lot to process.”

If anyone is interested in volunteering for the charity they are asked to visit the Botley Road store and talk to Mr Moody or Miss Dennington.

  • Anyone interested in volunteering for Cancer Research can click here.