Locals donate to pop-up thrift shop raising money for high school mental health and wellbeing project.
Students from McLaren High School in Callander have been helping run a thrift shop, organised by Callander local Charlotte Middleton. Ms Middleton organised a similar pop up in December to raise money for The Canmore Trust. The Canmore Trust was set up in memory of Cameron Gibson, former head boy of McLaren High School, who sadly ended his life three years ago.
After the success of the pop-up in December, Ms Middleton is hoping to raise enough money to help current pupils at McLaren High School have important conversations around mental health and run a project on mental health and wellbeing. She encouraged locals to clear out after Christmas and received a wide range of donations. Within an hour of opening, the shop had raised an impressive £100.
Charlotte Middleton commented:
“It’s been great to have the pupils on board and see them interact with community in this way.
“We have several charity shops in Callander but not one that takes from the community in order to give back. This is not a permanent venture but perhaps an incentive to show the community what can be done when we come together. And they have been amazing with their support whether it be donating items or coming along to buy.
“The message I aim to spread is one of HOPE ( Helping Other People Everyday ) and the community are truly doing that with this event.
Commenting, Rachael Dinwoodie and Aidan Cronin, McLaren School Captains, said:
“The Thrift Shop is a testament to the community spirit that lives in the McLaren catchment area. Having Charlotte wanting to support the high school in this way is brilliant. The money will be very useful as we look to better support all our pupils’ mental health at McLaren. We are proud of our S6 peer group who are always willing to step up and support community charity work like this. We look forward to supporting more work like this in the future”
Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, visited the shop. Commenting, she said:
“I visited the Thrift Shop this week and was very impressed. It’s clear that the community have rallied around with lots of donations and a great deal of support. I enjoyed speaking with sixth year students about their involvement and their plans for the project.
“The shop has already raised a significant amount, and I look forward to seeing how the students at McLaren High School spend it. Having open conversations about mental health is so important for everyone, and initiatives such as this will help reduce stigma. I encourage locals and visitors to go and visit and support this great cause.
The shop is open from Monday 16th – Friday 20th Jan 10am – 4pm. It can be found at 8 Ancaster Square Callander FK17 8ED