This month, Oxfam is running its second hand September event, encouraging us all to take the challenge of avoiding buying new clothing for 30 days.

“Throwaway fashion is putting increasing pressure on our planet and its people” says Oxfam, “It’s unsustainable. Every week 13 million items of clothing ends up in UK landfill. And did you know it would take 13 years for one person to drink the water needed to make one cotton t-shirt and a pair of jeans? Choosing to shop second hand can help.” 

Whilst there’s no longer an Oxfam shop in Helston, there are a wealth of amazing charity and vintage shops to help you in your quest to avoid the lure of the new and embrace the ethos that the world doesn’t need any more stuff. 

Helston has loads of options on charity shops – from the cavernous Fishermen’s Mission and Children’s Hospice on Coinagehall Street to teeny Aladdin’s caves of second hand treasures to root through dotted along Meneage Street. You can easily spend a day here browsing for a bargain or two – with minimal cost to the planet. 

The brand new Fishermen’s Mission shop, located on the bottom floor of the former Job Centre building is a fabulous find, filled with second-hand treasures. The venture brings together all the elements of the Fishermen’s Mission, including their outreach work, under one roof and you can rest assured you’re helping a good cause with 88p of every £1 you spent going to fund the charity’s work in the community. On of our favourite bits of the shop is the craft dresser, packed with goodies to help with everything from from crochet to card making.

Find out more at: https://www.facebook.com/fishermensmission/

From the most gorgeous one-off fashion finds to glitzy accessories and a vintage homeware collection including cushions, lampshades and more, the new Lady Eve Vintage shop on Meneage Street was opened at the end of August. The shop is run by the lovely Jan Williams and Bee Pellow, who say they strive for top quality items that people can mix into their own wardrobes. 

Delve a little deeper at: https://www.facebook.com/theladyevevintage/

Find out more about second hand September and how to get involved at: https://oxfamapps.org/secondhandseptember