From Chanel to charity: Leeds boutique raises over £100k for Marie Curie in first year

Edit opened its doors on Harrogate Road, in Chapel Allerton, a year ago and has raised over £116,000 for Marie Curie.

As a boutique store, Edit offers its customers pre-owned clothes, shoes, and accessories for men and women from premium brands at a fraction of the original retail price.

And among some of the bargains snapped up was a donation of a Chanel handbag, which sold for £1,500.

Simon Meek, retail business manager for Marie Curie said: “At Edit we wanted to show that it was possible to buy quality items in a way that's both sustainable and good for the environment whilst also supporting an amazing cause.

“We knew that there was an appetite for this kind of store and having lived in Leeds myself for over 20 years previously, I knew that Chapel Allerton would be the perfect location and that the people of Leeds would really embrace that concept.”

He said: “It makes me feel incredibly proud of what the store and the team within the store have done.

“The profits raised not just by Edit but all of the Marie Curie shops help provide expert nursing care at home or in a hospice setting, the charity’s free support line and webchat and also offers practical and emotional support on everything from symptom management to day to day care, to financial information and bereavement support.”

Stock is assembled from two main avenues: customer donations brought directly into the Edit charity shop, and donations transported from other stores which are particularly high in quality.

Since it first opened a year ago, customers have shown great support to Edit and this is what Simon attributed the shop’s success to.

He said: “We’ve been absolutely delighted with how the shop has been received.

“The reception to the concept has been fantastic. We’ve had so many comments about not only what great stock we have but about what a lovely feel the shop has and how the promotion of slow fashion itself is such a good idea.

“We’ve had incredible support from the people of Leeds - whether it's donating to us or shopping in store, every customer has helped us.”

In Simon’s words, Edit is the “antidote to fast fashion”. He encourages anyone who hasn’t seen the shop before to pay a visit.

He said: “In Edit you come by fantastic high quality items at a discounted price in a way that’s good for the environment - not only that, you’re helping Marie Curie provide expert nursing care at home or in a hospice setting for people with any illness.”

Edit is open 9am-5pm on Mondays to Saturdays and 10pm-4pm on Sundays.