A leading charity, which has a shop in Ely, says it is seeing more customers since the cost-of-living crisis began.

The research, carried out by Scope, also shows the importance charity shops play, making people feel part of their community. In Scope’s shops, many shop managers say their team are often the only people some customers speak to all week.

Scope’s sales of pre-loved goods are up six per cent on last year. Some shops are seeing an even bigger surge with increases up to 60 per cent on the previous year.

Charlotte Franklin, manager at the Scope shop at Coronation Parade, High Street, Ely, said: “We’ve been getting a lot of new customers coming into our shop since the cost of living crisis began.

"They’re mostly younger adults or teenagers and they love that they’re finding brilliant outfits to suit their individual styles, at prices they can afford. Sustainability is a very important issue to them and by supporting charity shops, they feel they’re doing their part to help the environment.

“We work with a local college that supports young disabled students, who gain vital work experience by volunteering in the shop. They love the independence and sense of achievement help helping us to raise funds for Scope.

“We also support young students doing their Duke of Edinburgh Awards, to gain their volunteer hours. Their parents love that their child is in a safe and inclusive environment and our volunteers love that they’re learning new skills and experiences. They also know that volunteering looks fantastic on their college application forms.

“We always have a chat with our customers, making them feel welcome and part of the community. Some customers have told me they live on their own and our team are often they only people they get to speak to all week, when they come into town to do a bit of shopping. They love finding the hidden treasures in our shop but I think it’s friendliness of the team that makes all the difference to them.”