A NUMBER of Oldham’s most popular charity shops are struggling, at a time when they are needed most.

As the credit crunch bites, a ‘make do and mend’ mindset has resulted in donations to the shops dropping massively.

Despite a prime location in Oldham town centre, volunteers at the Oxfam shop on Yorkshire Street are desperate for more items to fill the rails.

Branch manager Gail Jackson said: "The shop is getting busier and busier every day, but we are not getting the donations to cope.  If people don’t donate then, ultimately, we will run out of stock."

Gail first noticed the decrease in donations shortly after Christmas.

She said: "Usually the new year is one of our busiest periods. People send in unwanted gifts, or have a clear out to make room for their new presents, but this year there has been a big difference.  We hardly received any items, and yet more people are coming in to buy.  Most women have two or three things in their wardrobe which they never wear. We would just appeal to people to have a look in their homes and if there is anything they no longer want, then please donate it. Every little bit helps.  I have worked here for two years as a volunteer and eight years as the manager, and it’s the worst I have ever seen it. It is not just us, all charities are struggling."

Amanda Ford, manager of the RSPCA shop in Royton, added: "We’re finding donations have really slowed down, and the quality of the things which are being donated is poor.  The shop is getting busier and people are asking us to call them if we receive particular items."

Amanda said that while the Royton shop is still on an even keel, other RSPCA shops across the region are feeling the pinch.

She said: "Some are really struggling, and if we don’t receive donations we can’t raise money to support the animal centres.  I think many people are choosing to sell rather than donate. We would just ask people to have a look for a couple of items they can live without, and donate them."

Volunteers at other local charity shops said that the recent bad weather had also played a big factor.

Joyce Kilborn, a volunteer at Dr Kershaw’s charity shop, on Market Street, in Shaw, and Peter Hutchinson, a volunteer at Age Concern’s charity shop in Lees, said the weather had impacted on sales and donations.

However, Peter said: "If people don’t go out they often have a bit of a sort-out, and a lot of that gets sent to charity. So, while the shop has been quieter, once the weather has cleared we would hope for more donations."

It is not an optimism shared by the Charity Commission, which says a recent survey showed that more than 40 per cent of charities have seen their incomes drop by about a fifth. The majority who took part said they had begun to use their reserves to meet the shortfall, with half expecting their total income to decline over the next year.

Dame Suzi Leather – chairman of the commission – said: "Charities are society’s safety net in a downturn, and they are experiencing a double whammy of reduced income and increasing demand."

Back at Oxfam in Oldham, Gail Jackson said: "With the current financial climate, we understand why people are hanging onto their things, but we need people to help us so that we can help others."