A CHARITY shop in Richmond is hoping to shake off any reputations of being dusty and shabby with a makeover to bring it into the 21st century.

The Oxfam store in Finkle Street, Richmond, will be closing at the end of May for three weeks while the shop is transformed into a shopper’s haven with separate departments for books, clothes and home ware.

Manager Emma-Louise Norman said she hoped to make the shop a better place both for shoppers and the volunteers working there.

“Charity shops can have a bit of a stigma attached to them as being a bit old and smelly but we want to prove that it isn’t always the case – and show off some of the great donations we get sent every week.

“Our main issue is space – we get so many fantastic items but we don’t have shelves to put it all out so we are knocking down walls to create a book room where our current sorting room is, moving the sorting room downstairs, and creating a new staff room in the old flat above the shop.

“We have been running a stall at a Richmond vintage fair which runs on the first Tuesday of the month and found that we can get really good prices for some of our genuine vintage donations.

“Buyers at the fair know what they are looking for and like that the proceeds go to a good cause so are prepared to spend a little bit more.”

Oxfam in Richmond will hold a re-launch party for the shop when it is back up and running, with a date to be confirmed.