A well-known Aberdeen charity shop is to close its doors for the last time at the end of October due to it taking “a knock” from Covid-19.
Bosies Breast Cancer Charity, which has a shop on Aberdeen’s Justice Street, has been running since August 2010.
The charity, which is dedicated to helping local breast cancer patients, was set up by breast cancer survivor Maggie Lenahan and her daughter Debbie Hamilton.
Economic uncertainty of Covid
However, like many businesses it has found it difficult during the economic uncertainty of Covid-19.
Mrs Lenahan, who is the shop’s manager, said that since Covid “it’s been really hard” and that they have been “struggling financially”, adding “We’ve taken a knock, so it’s been just hard.”
The shop, which is located next to the city’s Castlegate, is made up of three units in total, including one that has been knocked through.
However, the five-year rent on the property is no longer sustainable for it to continue.
‘We put a lot of work into it’
Mrs Lenahan said: “It’s sad, it’s disappointing, because it was myself and my daughter that set it up. It’s a family charity, we set it up ourselves. We put a lot of work into it.”
A breast cancer survivor of 26 years, Mrs Lenahan who tragically lost her sister to the disease, described her drive for fundraising, adding: “It’s been my passion really to raise funds for putting back into our hospital, because that’s where we were both treated and a few of my ladies, the volunteers are breast cancer survivors as well.”
Bosies charity to continue
Despite the closure of the shop, she has vowed to keep the Bosies Breast Cancer Charity running for “as long as possible”, adding: “We’re closing the store, not the charity, we’ll keep Bosies running as a charity so people can still fundraise.”
Despite having been a permanent fixture in Aberdeen‘s city centre since it open nearly 12 years ago, Mrs Lenahan said: “I think the time’s come for us to call it a day unfortunately.
“It would be lovely if somebody would come along and say ‘We’ll pay your rent for the next five years.’ That would be great but that’s not going to happen. I’m kind of resigned to it now.”
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