Wood Green Animal Shelter Avis 

This is review concerning my visit to the WoodGreen charity shop in St Ives today.
I had sorted out a range of items. Everything I considered saleable was freshly washed and ironed. It included a range of clothes for all seasons, various new items like still-packaged ladies' socks, two children's coats (one faux leather) with tags on, an unused set o f mugs and three unused dogs' coats. I also sorted a small bag of clothing that would probably only be of any value as rags.

The assistant said no to the lot. Straight away - no discussion. Apparently, Wood Green does not want any pet items, only wants summer (not spring or autumn) coats, will not engage in any discussion except straightforward refusal. I got a lecture about the rags market, even though it was I who introduced the subject of the downturn in the rags market.

I worked for WoodGreen for ten years or so and for a while I ran a Charity Shop. I know first hand how soul-destroying it is to receive a donation of stuff that really belongs in the trash. That is why I sorted out a range of quality goods to donate. That is why I asked about the marketability of non-saleable rags.

My experience was humiliating and patronising. I may as well have gone into the shop with bags of used nappies and grease-daubed workwear.
I took my donations to the YMCA shop across the road and was greeted by a lovely volunteer who was happy to look through my donations and engage with me and accept everything but the rags (They are now in the textile recycling hopper at Bluntisham tip).
I think it highly unlikely that I will ever donate any items to a WoodGreen Charity Shop again. They would probably reject the Crown Jewels.
WoodGreen can do better: I worked for them; I got my dog from them; I supported them. A bit of tact and a few minutes looking through a bag (on a day that wasn't busy) would not have hurt.
B Frances

I received a letter today from Woodgreen Pets charity asking for donations of £10, £20 or £50, are they crazy? People are struggling with the cost of living and they want me to donate to some random charity that I have never heard of.

They made £21 million pounds last year and have the audacity to use the money they heard from hardworking citizens and pensioners to send out full colour leaflet and a letter (colour printing is not cheap) and paying for postage and buying people's personal data from a dodgy company called Sagacity when that money should be used for the animals that they are allegedly helping!

I did a little digging on them as above, they earned £21 million last year. They have 7 employees with salaries between £60K to £70K. 1 employee with a salary of £70K to £80K, 2 employees with salaries of £80K to £90K and an employee with a salary of £120K to £130K. They are buying data from Sagacity which I am sure is not cheap, they are sending our mailshots to random people, that's not a good use of charity money and this is exactly I DO NOT DONATE!

Avoid this "charity" at all costs.