A deal has been struck for one of the UK’s leading vet charities to launch a pop-up shop in Greater Manchester.
PDSA has reached an agreement with Atmore Centres Limited to lease a unit at Spinning Gate Shopping Centre in Leigh.
The store - which is usually open Tuesday to Saturday - will sell a range of pre-loved items, with each purchase helping to fund the charity’s pet hospitals.
The charity provides free and low cost vet treatment for pets in need across the UK, and doesn’t receive government funding to run its vital veterinary services.
Lloyd Hughes, PDSA’s Head of Retail, said: “2020 was a challenging year for PDSA, as it was for many. With our fundraising events cancelled and many of our shops closed for months at a time, we faced a significant drop to our income.
“This pop-up shop approach allows us to be flexible and achieve the best possible results when we are able to open, meaning we can raise more funds to help us care for pets in need.
“Our charitable vet service is needed now more than ever and we’ve seen huge surges in demand for our help. The pandemic has meant that many people are struggling financially through no fault of their own, and for many owners we are their only emergency service if their pet falls ill or gets injured.
“We rely solely on generous public support as we receive no government funding for our services.”
PDSA was supported by Kylie Cooper, Real Estate Lawyer at leading Midlands law firm Wright Hassall, who finalised the legalities of the deal on behalf of the charity.
Kylie added: “We are passionate about supporting charities such as PDSA where we can, and hopefully this pop-up approach being adopted by the PDSA in a high footfall location can help to further boost their fundraising drive over the coming months.”
While PDSA’s stores are currently closed and can’t accept donations, they will reopen as soon as restrictions allow and will welcome donations of pre-loved items.
The charity has robust procedures in place to keep their staff, volunteers and visitors safe in its shops. For more information, and for updates on reopening, go to www.pdsa.org.uk/shops.
