Doubling the number of our high street shops to save more lives

We started the year with four charity shops in the communities we serve and by mid-January 2024, we will have doubled our high street presence to eight shops! It’s exciting times for Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) — the expansion of our high street shops across our region will help raise vital funds to keep our critical care and air ambulance service operational.

Since opening our first shop in Westbury-on-Trym in 2020, our growing retail portfolio has become an important income stream for the Charity. During the October half-term week, our Retail team surpassed their highest-ever sales figures. But with a growing upward trend in the number of call-outs that the crew attends (2023 is looking like it could be the busiest yet!), we need to work even harder to bring in funds to make sure it can be there for people in urgent need of critical care.

Up until now, shoppers have enjoyed grabbing a bargain from GWAAC shops in Westbury-on-Trym, Yate, Cheltenham, and Gloucester. We opened the second of our shops in Gloucester earlier in the year giving local people and visitors a choice between high-end branded options from our boutique shop, and homeware, clothing, and accessories from our larger shop which is just a five-minute walk away.

And now we’re expanding our high-street presence to Cinderford, Thornbury and Bath!

Cinderford shop opened on 5 December

Our new high street shop in Cinderford opened on Tuesday 5 December, much to the anticipation of the local community.

Just before the doors officially opened, GWAAC’s CEO, Anna Perry, gave a heartwarming speech during a small ceremony to thank everyone involved for their hard work. And former patient, Chris Witham, had the honour of cutting the ribbon. Anna said, “I was delighted to open our new shop in the heart of the Forest of Dean where we do so many missions and save so many lives. Thank you to everyone who has helped us get here; thank you for the donations, to the volunteers who helped us set up, and to our new Cinderford retail team who we employed from the local area. Now all we’re asking is that people come in and shop!”

Happy shoppers eagerly explored our range of sustainable and ethical second-hand clothes, accessories, and household items. And we are pleased to announce that on our first day of trading in the heart of the Forest of Dean, we took almost £1,300 which will help pay for more than half of the cost of a mission to help someone in urgent need of lifesaving critical care.

We invite Cinderford residents, and visitors to the area, to pop in and grab some pre-loved Christmas gifts and bargains. The friendly shop team is looking forward to giving everyone a warm welcome and answering any questions about our critical care and air ambulance service.

Pop into our Cinderford shop from 09:00 to 17:00 Monday to Saturday at 8 High Street, Cinderford, Gloucestershire, GL14 2SH. Free parking is available nearby making it easy to visit and to drop off any donations.

Thornbury shop opens one week later

As our Cinderford shop settled into its role as a buzzing community hub, we unveiled our newest shop in Thornbury on 12 December.

The opening was a celebratory affair with CEO Anna delivering another heartwarming speech to volunteers and shop staff.

“Today, we’re opening our seventh shop right here on Thornbury High Street where everyone can see us, and everyone can shop with us. Thank you so much to all our volunteers and staff and to everyone who has donated items to get us to this point today.”

Anna Perry, Chief Executive Officer, GWAAC

Our wonderful crew also popped along to show support; Trainee PHEM (pre-hospital emergency medicine) Doctor, Dr Mark Winstanley cut the ribbon to announce the shop officially open, and Dr Chris Arrowsmith even purchased a Christmas gift.

By mid-morning our shop was filled with local shoppers, and everyone was treated to the festive sounds of a local choir positioned just outside the shop – it all had a lovely Christmassy feel.

Our newest shop in Thornbury gives people an opportunity to shop sustainably, find out more about the service we provide, and support our lifesaving mission. In addition, the shop will house a recycling bank to make it easy for staff to recycle items that aren’t suitable for re-selling, meaning donated rags will happily be taken in.

Shoppers in Thornbury can expect a fantastic array of second-hand treasures and a welcoming atmosphere. We’d love you to come and visit our shop at 14 High Street, Thornbury BS35 2AQ. Opening hours are 09:00 to 17:00 Monday to Saturday.

Bath shop to open in New Year

Our Bath shop, which will be located at 23 Moorland Rd, Bath BA2 3PW, will be the only charity shop for an air ambulance in the city and we can’t wait to welcome in local shoppers and people visiting the area.

Our team is working hard to get the shop ready for opening.

Support our New Shops

If you have unwanted good-quality homeware, clothing, and shoes to donate, we'd be thrilled to receive them. Simply drop them off during the day at one of our shops during opening hours. Take a look at our donation guidelines for more information.

And for anyone interested in volunteering in our shops and being part of our exciting retail journey, you can learn more on the volunteers pages of our website, or you can contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Sully, at Ursula.Sullivan@gwaac.com.

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