From a live hand grenade, to a stuffed weasel, to second hand bondage gear – Mind shops have seen it all, but with the charity relying on good quality donations to keep going, the duo are hoping to encourage people to give generously this festive season.
The video, entitled Mind the Marrow, was filmed at the Mind shop in Kentish Town and has been posted to Emily’s YouTube channel.
Each year, Mind shops see an increase in custom over Christmas, however, this is not always matched by increased donations, leaving some stores with empty shelves. Since each bag of saleable stock donated to Mind can be worth up to £30, the charity is calling on supporters to help replenish supplies. All proceeds go to fund the charity’s work such as the Mind Infoline, information and advice services, and the campaigning Mind does to secure a better life for the one in four people who experience a mental health problem every year.
Matt Johnson, Mind Ambassador, said “We had a brilliant time filming our video at the Mind shop in Kentish Town. I even got to try my hand at serving customers and answering the phones! It really gave me an insight into how hard the staff and volunteers work to help the charity and I hope people take away the serious side of our silly video and donate to their local Mind shop this Christmas.”
Andrew Vale, Director of Mind retail, said “We know the run up to Christmas is all about shopping, and we’re delighted people are choosing to buy gifts at their local Mind shop, but we need more donations to keep up with demand. Donating to a Mind shop is an easy way to give to charity that doesn’t cost a penny. Stuffed weasels and live bombs aside, we accept clothing and accessories, books, bric-a-brac, household linens, music and children’s games and toys.”