Cancer charity to close several high street shops in Bristol region

A leading cancer charity for children, young people and their families is to close all of its Bristol shops.

Young Lives vs Cancer, has announced its chain of 13 shops will close over the next 18 months after its latest financial report revealed the charity had made a substantial loss.

The charity consulted with staff and engaged with affected volunteers about the proposed closures following a review of its shops.

The review looked at projected income generation, running and maintenance costs, and conditions on the high street when considering their ability to generate money to fund Young Lives vs Cancer’s services for children and young people with cancer.

Last year their shops generated a net income of approximately £450,000, but that is a lower return on investment than the charity can achieve through other income generating activity.

The Young Lives vs Cancer 2021-22 annual report states the charity’s retail shops made a net loss of £1.4m.

The charity says the loss was ‘abnormal’ and arose from two exceptional reasons - the impact of Covid on the stores and the fact £1m was put aside to cover the future cost of repairs and maintenance of shops.

Young Lives vs Cancer’s chain of 13 shops are located in Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Gloucestershire.

In total, the charity has five stores in the Bristol region: Downend, Fishponds, Keynsham, Shirehampton and Staple Hill - although according to its website , Shirehampton has already closed.

The closures, which will happen between June 2023 and January 2025, mean that up to 39 roles will be affected, as well as 300 volunteer posts.

Luke Mallett, Director of Income and Engagement at Young Lives vs Cancer said: “The difficult decision to close Young Lives vs Cancer’s chain of charity shops has only been made after detailed consideration of the options.

“Our shops have played a big role in funding our vital services, but as a charity that does not receive sustained Government funding, we need to do all we can to raise as much money as we can to run and develop our services for children and young people with cancer.

“We’ve compared the cost of running and maintaining our shops and how much money they raise with other fundraising methods, but the investment needed to run our shops is significant.

“At a time that costs are rising for everyone, but especially for children and young people with cancer and their families, it is vital every investment we make in growing income to deliver our services, and the increasing needs of families, is scrutinised.

“In the instance of retail, it was clear that other income generation channels could in the future generate more, at less of a cost.” Mr Mallett added that he expected the shops to stay open until their individual leases ended.