Derby City Council Raynesway Reuse Shop Review
DISCLOSURE – THIS EXPERIENCE WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST/S FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW.
Reviewed by Sheridan Brown
Anyone who knows me can attest to my pride in being considered a ‘charity shop queen’ – and the practice of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle has long been part our household routine. So, when I was invited to attend the grand opening of the brand-new permanent home for the Derby Raynesway Reuse shop, I was intrigued and delighted.
The idea of a ‘reuse shop’ in Derby was first launched in the spring of 2024, where a marquee in the grounds of the Raynesway Household Waste and Recycling Centre (RHWC) hosted a series of pop-up events. Available for sale at these events was a range of pre-loved goods, rescued from landfill and made available to the general public, at a fraction of their original cost. The pop-ups were incredibly popular with Derby residents and generated an amazing £13,525!
Now, due to continued strong public interest, and support from the local community, some of these profits have been invested in a permanent structure at RHWC. The new structure will house a shop which is open, initially, for 3 days every week (see below for details) – but with the possibility of extended opening hours if there is demand. The vision for the shop is twofold. The first is that the shop will divert items away from landfill – contributing to Derby City Council’s sustainability aims. The second vision is that some of the future profits from the shop will be allocated to Derby City Council’s Welfare Reform Scheme – which aims to supports local residents in need.
At 1pm on Saturday 16th August, the shop was officially opened by Councillor Nadine Peatfield, Leader of Derby City Council. Within minutes of the red ribbon being cut, members of the public streamed in to browse what was on offer. However, I had been lucky enough to be given an early sneak-peek tour by Craig Capper, Contract Manager at HW Martin Waste Ltd – the company charged with running the venture. Craig’s enthusiasm for the project was plain to see. Craig told me that, after the success of the pop-ups, the permanent project had generated two new part-time jobs. Joining the workforce is a PAT-tester for electrical items, and an assistant who will run the shop on a day-to-day basis.
The shop is made up of two large sections which have floor to ceiling shelving, laden with a range of goodies – from toys and games to power-tools, homewares to kitchen gadgets, camping gear to bedside lamps. In the central section of the shop, medium sized items, such as garden chairs, pushbikes and small furniture items were displayed. There is also another area, outside, in which larger pieces of furniture had been arranged. There was such a variety of goods on offer! I was sorely tempted by a beautiful Fortnum and Mason picnic basket, a lovely set of porcelain cabinet door knobs and even a bodhrán!
Buying from the shop couldn’t be easier. Electrical items (because they have been checked and PAT-tested) will have a price sticker – but for other items, shoppers are encouraged to ask for a price; haggling is not discouraged! You can pay by card, or with cash, if you have the correct change. Further information around buying and donating items can be found at the website below.
I asked Craig Capper about access to the shop. At the moment, members of the public cannot access HWRC (and the Reuse shop) on foot or cycle due to safety concerns. However, it is hoped that pedestrian access to the shop can be arranged in the future. I think this would be a welcome addition to the accessibility of the shop for members of public who don’t have the use of a car.
All in all, I was genuinely surprised by the range and quality of goods on offer – it was astonishing to think that folks wanted to throw them away!! As someone who loves the thrill of a pre-loved bargain, I can’t wait to go back. I’m fascinated to see what will be new on the shelves – waiting for me to buy and take home!
Rating: 5/5
Opening hours:
• Mondays: 8am to 6pm
• Fridays: 12noon to 6pm
• Saturdays: 8am to 6pm
More information available at: www.derby.gov.uk