Charity Shop at Crook
In the town of Crook in County Durham we have a charity shop which is a much-loved community hub. Gerald Hirst was the manager of the shop when it was passed on to us by a local Chernobyl charity in 2011. He did a fantastic job recruiting and inspiring volunteers and was known to practically everyone in the town.
Gerald ran the shop brilliantly for 12 years and then in summer 2022 he retired and is now enjoying his travels all over County Durham, North Yorkshire and beyond. We are incredibly grateful to him for all his hard work over so many years.
We were very glad to welcome Claire Pears as the new Manager when Gerald retired. Claire had been working in the shop as a volunteer and was excited to take on the challenge of managing it and making sure it stays just as welcoming and friendly as it has always been.
She gets lots of support from a small group of volunteers, particularly Julie Finch who is regularly behind the counter. We are very grateful to Claire and her team, to all those who bring in donations and to all the regular customers.
