* Ifor Williams Trailers staff donating clothes, bric-a-brac, toys and books to Tenovus Cancer Care, From left, Rob Small, Joe Pardoe, Ben Whitby and Carole DeRosa from Tenovus.
A cancer charity with a shop in Llangollen is hoping that a green revolution
in fashion will help boost their finances after their fundraising efforts were
badly hit by the pandemic.
According to Tenovus Cancer Care, which has shops across north Wales, more and
more people were ditching fast fashion and buying pre-loved clothes.
As a result, the new generation of bargain hunters
are snapping up designer outfits for rock bottom prices.
Carole DeRosa, a retail manager at Tenovus, was speaking
during a visit to Ifor Williams Trailers which have established collection
points for the charity at each of their six sites in Denbighshire and
Flintshire.
Big-hearted staff at the trailer firm are donating
their unwanted items so that they can be sold by Tenovus in their shops.
The organisation was established by 10 Cardiff
businessmen in 1943 – hence the name, Tenovus (Ten of Us).
It is now one of the leading cancer charities in Wales, helping
patients with care, treatment, support and research.
The charity also has three mobile support
units so that people don’t have to deal with the stress and costs of travelling
miles to hospital.
Carole DeRosa said: “Tenovus is here from the
moment of diagnosis and through people’s cancer treatment. We understand
what it is to live with cancer and how it affects families and friends too.
“We’re here with information, advice, practical and
emotional support. We’re here for you.
“We’re on the end of the phone and we have
counsellors and financial advisors who can take that burden away from you.
“We’re here 365 days on the end of a phone to
support people and answer questions about treatment, its effects and the things
that matter to you.
Carole added: “The retail side of things
contributes significantly to ensuring that our services can be here for
everyone affected by cancer.
“The shops are also part of the community and lots
of people use them to buy what they need.
“The past couple of years have been a struggle in
terms of fund-raising because we haven’t had the donations we would usually
receive.
“During the pandemic people were more likely to be
diagnosed at a later stage and consequently our services have been in even
greater demand.
“When I got in touch with Ifor Williams Trailers
they immediately said they would be able to give us a hand which was just a
relief.
“The other benefit is the green aspect of recycling
clothes, re-using clothes rather than them going to landfill.
“You’ll often see four or five students shopping
together and they can buy a designer outfit for the price of a garment from
Primark which is nice to see.”
Among the Ifor Williams Trailers staff who have
contributed unused clothes to Tenovus Cancer Care is Ben Whitby, Genuine Parts
Manager.
He said: “Unfortunately, cancer touches so many
families and everyone here has been doing their bit.”
Joe Pardoe, a member of the distributor management
team, added: “It’s always good to give to charity and Tenovus is a particularly
good cause. They do fantastic work so it’s great to be able to support them in
this way.”
It was a sentiment endorsed by the Group Head of
Sales Rob Small who said: “Ifor Williams Trailers is very much a
community based company and we are proud to be able to support Tenovus in this
way.
“The practical support and succour they provide in
people’s hour of need is invaluable while the research they have helped to fund
has already saved countless lives.
“It’s also great to hear that more and more people
are now adopting a green approach to shopping, with sustainability taking
precedence over fast fashion. That’s something that benefits all of us.”
