Dalston's Oxfam defies the recession, despite national drop in donations

Dalston's Oxfam is still thriving, despite national figures for donations seeing a 15% fall.

Oxfam warned at the beginning of the week that the recession is far from over, after seeing a 15% fall in the level of goods donated to its shops.

The BBC reported that it was the second year running that Oxfam has suffered a double-digit drop in donations, after the level of clothes, books, toys and crockery people brought to its shops fell by 12% during 2008.

But Oxfam Dalston, on Kingsland Road, continues to be successful, with a huge fan base and even a new Twitter account.

Kevin, the deputy manager at Dalston's Oxfam shop, said that they have not been affected by the recession.

He told Dalston People: "Donations to our shop have been pretty constant over the last couple of years, we seem to get a constant level of donations, even during traditional lulls like the summer period.

Unlike many other Oxfam shops across the country, Dalston's branch seems to be thriving, with business as usual on Kingsland Road.

Kevin said: "The credit crunch hasn't really had a negative effect on us. Maybe it's just new people deciding to donate, or there's a certain type of person living around Dalston that still has a social conscience?"

Donations are still high in Dalston, with several people even leaving bin liners full of items on the street, outside of the shop's opening hours - which is not advised.

Kevin said: "We get all sorts of excellent items in, and it constantly surprises me how much stuff people are willing to part with, without asking for a penny in return.

"This can vary from a brand new Burberry wool coat, to an Alessi pepper mill, to a rare Black Flag original pressing album, or even just the constant stream of quality DVDs and hardback non-fiction. It's a pleasure working here!"

 

Kevin also revealed to Dalston People that a new Dalston Oxfam blog is launching soon.