Faith

Christmas is normally a time for giving except this year people appear to have less to give.

For charities, this is proving a real headache because financial donations are down.

Staff at the Salvation Army charity shop in Dorchester says the amount people are giving is significantly lower than previous years. But the economic downturn is bringing some benefits.

Jamie Slater and husband Ray.

Stock is flying off the shelves as people who never used to go to charity shops are now coming through the door

Shop manager Jamie Slater said, "People that would normally shop in more expensive clothing places and places for gifts are trying out charity shops for the first time.

"They've maxed out their credit cards and they only have a bit of cash to spend. They can come into a charity shop and find some really high names on the clothing here for only a couple of pounds."

While donated clothes, books, toys and household items are being snapped up, the drop in financial donations is causing a problem because the number of people in need has risen.

Some of the donated items such as furniture, food, toiletries and clothing are given away to individuals and organisations in need. It's those requests which have gone up.

Jamie said, "Our groceries are depleting. We don't have anywhere near the amount we had this time last year, which means we do need to be dipping into our funds to be buying groceries. Where people used to have an extra few pounds to buy us some groceries and bring them by for the needy, that's not now happening."

Sorting the stock

Jamie Slater took up the manager's role in 2006. She turned the shop into a profitable business and went out into the community to identify who needed her help. In just 18 months she has set up links with dozens of organisations.

They include, "The Hub" Dorchester's homeless centre, "Footprints" which helps ex-offenders resettle into the community and the local women's refuge.

She also uses the funds and donated items to solve practical problems. For example a local homeless teenage drop in centre needed an attraction to draw the youngsters in so they could be given food and support. The Salvation Army raised money to buy a Nintendo Wii which proved to be just the thing to get the youngsters through the door.

For all these projects to continue the funds and the donations need to keep coming. Jamie says she's blessed with the amount of donations to the shop in Dorchester but if people don't have anything spare to give, those who really need it will undoubtedly suffer.