St Clare Hospice’s specialist charity shop Scarlet Vintage and Retro has won two local awards.
The Essex-based charity shop has won Best Shopfront or Window Display and Volunteer of the Year in the Harlow Town Centre Awards.
The award ceremony was hosted by Harlow Council and was attended by representatives from the hospice’s retail team.
Tracey Chippett, Shop Manager at Scarlet Vintage and Retro, said: “We’re so excited to have won not one, but two, awards from the Harlow Town Centre Awards! We have the most amazing team of volunteers and supportive customers. We’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who voted for us, and to Harlow town for embracing us this year – supporting us with your custom and recommendations. A huge cheer to us all!”
The 2019 Harlow Town Centre Awards are now in their third year, celebrating the teams, individuals and businesses that make up the town centre.
These local awards come after Scarlet Vintage & Retro received a Hospice UK award for Specialist Retail Outlet of the Year in April, in addition to being on the shortlist for the prestigious Charity Retail Association award for Community and Social Impact.
Scarlet’s recent Volunteer of the Year award was presented for the considerable contribution that the entire team of dedicated shop volunteers make, ensuring the store’s success.
Head of Retail at St Clare Hospice, Fiona Eaton, commented: “Scarlet Vintage & Retro has not even celebrated its first birthday yet, and has already become an award-winning retail outlet and talking point in Harlow’s town centre! We are so proud of our volunteers at the shop. Without their dedicated support, we wouldn’t have seen such amazing results in the store’s first year.
Scarlet has really helped to boost income across our retail department over the past 11 months, which is only too welcome with St Clare’s plans to continue reaching more local people in need of support. It wouldn’t be possible without the support of our volunteering team at the shop, who go above and beyond to make it the truly special retail outlet that it is. Thank you to each and everyone one of them, on behalf of all of us here at the hospice.”
A key role for volunteers within the shop is to maintain the unique display windows, which are often inspired by ‘hot topics’. The windows aim to create a story to engage customers, as well offering a memorable shopping experience.
“It’s once again with thanks to our amazing volunteers that we managed to scoop another award,” says Tracey. “We’ve had Mary Poppins, Stranger Things, St Clare’s Lottery, Mother’s Day, Easter, wedding season – you name it! Our displays always look top-notch thanks to our creative volunteers, helping us to bring customers who want to bag an amazing, vintage bargain.”
Fiona adds: “Harlow Town Centre has long played a significant role in Harlow, and for the town’s residents. Whether it has been somewhere we have worked, shopped or played, the town centre has been a consistent feature in the town’s history and will continue to be so in the future. We are proud to have received these two awards – and here’s to another successful year for Scarlet Vintage & Retro!”
For more information visit St Clare Hospice
Leave a Reply