The manager of a charity shop has been left devastated after it lost most of its stock in a fire. Police were called to reports of a fire at the Scope charity shop on Albany Road, Cardiff at around 3.30am this morning Friday, June 9.
The incident closed the road until 7.30am. The shop lost most of its donations in the incident and will be closed for the foreseeable future but the charity has confirmed it will reopen, although no date has been set.
Although no one was injured and the police are not treating the fire as suspicious, the staff and volunteers are now dealing with the loss of stock from the event. Shop manager Catherine Gibbous got the news at 7am this morning that there had been a fire at the shop she has worked at for over a decade.
Read more: Fire destroys shop and closes busy Cardiff road
She said: “The devastation of it all was going through my head at the time, and I was worried about the volunteers because it’s their social circle as well. They enjoy coming here as well as volunteering, so they’re going to be a bit lost.
“And our customers - some of those we have to really thank them for their support and donations in the past and we want to let them know that we will be back. It’s social for them as well because some of them just enjoy coming in for a chat- and we will miss it just as much.
“We had so much stock that people had donated and so much money for the charity that we would be making, so the charity is losing out. All that hard work we’ve put in prepping and ready to get that money in the till and it’s all just gone up in smoke.”
Considering what the shop means to her and the others who work there, Cathy added: “It's our second home and we are here more than we should be, we come in more than we should be and we support each other. And the community- the Roath, Cathay’s and Penylan community have supported us so much over the years.”
Alison Aston, South West Area Manager at disability equality Scope, added: “We have spoken to the fire brigade this morning and they have confirmed that the investigation is ongoing.
“We will not be able to give further details until this is completed. The team at Scope charity shop in Albany Road would like to thank their volunteers and customers for all their incredible support over the years.
"They look forward to serving their wonderful community when they are able to reopen. If you’d like to support Scope whilst the shop is closed, you can visit our eBay site where you can find fantastic quality bargains. Or you can visit our nearest shop in the Kingsway Centre, Newport.”
A spokesperson for South Wales Police said: "Officers attended to support the Fire Service which was dealing with a fire at a property on Albany Road. A road closure was put in place and a local diversion.
"We were called at 3.30am. No reports of any injuries and the property was unoccupied. The cause of the fire does not appear to be suspicious. The road re-opened sat around 7.40am."
Scope is a disability equality charity in England and Wales which provides practical information and emotional support when it's most needed, and campaigns to create a fairer society. To find out more about the charity or how to support them, you can visit their website here.
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