Carnaby’s first permanent “vintage and designer” Mind charity shop to open

London landlord Shaftesbury has today announced that mental health charity Mind will be opening Carnaby’s first permanent charity shop on 12 October 2022, at 8 Ganton Street, selling vintage and designer clothing and accessories.

New stock will be added daily, including a carefully curated selection from designer brands such as Givenchy, Vivienne Westwood, Burberry and Louis Vuitton.

The opening aptly comes in the week of World Mental Health Day, which falls on 10 October every year.

Spanning two floors, the 563 sq ft store features oak wood floors, neon lighting and an inviting changing room area for customers to try on their one-of-a-kind finds.

The warm and welcoming interior aims to “embody the Mind brand”, creating a mindful and comforting space while helping to raise awareness of mental health issues.

Samantha Bain-Mollison, Retail Director at Shaftesbury, said: “We are so excited to welcome Mind to Carnaby. This will be the first permanent mental health charity shop in the destination, and we are happy to be supporting such a worthy cause. We are confident the concept will help raise awareness for mental health alongside generating funding for their life saving services.”

Mind is asking locals to support the new shop by dropping in and donating, shopping for a bargain or even volunteering as it says “even an hour a week could make a huge difference”.

Andrew Vale, Managing Director of Retail at Mind, commented: “We are thrilled to be opening a new shop in Carnaby and cannot wait to welcome the public in on Wednesday 12 October. With such an exciting location, this store will offer a more innovative design and will feature top designer and vintage items for just a fraction of the cost.

“The pandemic has had a devastating effect on the nation’s mental health, and the cost-of-living crisis is already making things worse. We are in the midst of a mental health crisis and that’s why your support is needed now more than ever.

“When you make a purchase in our shop you are helping to fund mental health services like the Mind Infoline and peer support platform Side by Side. You are also enabling us to continue to campaign for the rights of the one in four of us who experience a mental health problem every year.”

Mind shops have been on the high street for over 60 years and rely on over 3,000 volunteers and 450 dedicated staff across England and Wales to keep shops running.