Age Concern announces decision to close second-hand shop in Fuengirola

Age Concern Fuengirola, which also serves Mijas and Benalmádena, has made the decision to close its charity shop in Los Boliches, a revenue which has been supporting the organisation for almost ten years. The charity explained that the decision, which was announced earlier this month at its annual general meeting, was made to enable the organisation to re-focus on creating a new community centre for members.

The charity said the closure of the shop, scheduled for 28 October, is mainly due to rising operational costs, decreased foot traffic, lack of donations and increased competition from online platforms.

“Charity shops in general are facing financial pressures from the cost-of-living crisis, so the time has come to prioritise other fundraising methods with a better return on investment,” the organisation said in a statement.

Whilst the closure of the shop has received mixed feelings, the organisation said that it feels a new community centre “will enable a new future for the local community”. The centre will offer wellbeing and social activities for members, as well as activities such as first aid and dementia awareness classes.

The recruitment of volunteers is another area that has affected Age Concern, especially since Brexit. President Linda Ewen told SUR in English that the charity hopes the new focus and different opportunities for volunteers will strengthen their work for older adults in the community.

“The charity has grown significantly in the past few years: we currently have over 300 members. Volunteer numbers have not increased, if anything, they have declined. This means the charity needs to prioritise on the delivery of services for the local community. We hope that the new direction will create further capacity to ensure we continue to support local needs. We look forward to shaping the new community hub with our members and volunteers and further deliver on our mission of providing help where help is needed,” she said.