Wednesday 2nd December 2020, today NCBI (National Council for the Blind of Ireland) opened its first ever charity pop-up shop on Grafton Street for the month of December. On hand to celebrate was Minister for Environment, Eamon Ryan and TV presenter and fashion designer Sonya Lennon along with well-known bloggers including Emily Rochford and Tara Stewart.
Called Re:Newed for NCBI the shop will showcase and sell high quality designer stock which has been generously donated by Irish designers, celebrities and the public. Lainey Keogh, Simone Rocha, Chupi Sweetman and Melissa Curry have all donated their designs as well as clothing donations from Sonya Lennon, Cillian Murphy, Triona McCarthy and Daniel O’Donnell. There will also be crafts for sale made by artists who are blind or vision impaired and use NCBI services.
This will be no ordinary charity shop as Re:Newed for NCBI was inspired by the London version that Harrod’s have developed, which was curated by Stella McCartney and runs every year for the month of March with NSPCC.
Chris White, NCBI CEO said “For NCBI being positioned on Grafton Street ahead of Christmas gives us a unique opportunity to launch our Re:Newed for NCBI brand specific for this store and to challenge customer perceptions of pre-worn and vintage clothes, in true sustainable spirit. Customers are becoming more conscious of the impact of fast fashion on the planet and realising that charity shopping is the green engine of the high street.”
The shop at 110 Grafton Street has kindly donated to NCBI by Irish Life for the month of December.
Martin O’Reilly, Head of Property, Irish Life Investment Managers said “We are delighted to be able to support the team at NCBI by providing this space on Grafton Street to give shoppers the opportunity to pick up some incredible gifts whilst supporting a charity which does such great work in Ireland.”
Covid19 led to the temporary closure of all 115 NCBI stores across the country for 19 weeks throughout 2020. This resulted in a loss of sales totalling €4.6m to fund our essential frontline services to people who are blind or vision impaired.
Mr White added “The demand for NCBI services remained high throughout 2020 because Covid19 has also robbed people of their sense of touch, which is vital for people who are blind or vision impaired and led to increased feelings of isolation and vulnerability. We’ve adapted accordingly and now are offering an extensive range of practical and emotional support online, via phone as well as in person. Re:Newed for NCBI gives us another opportunity to recoup some financial losses endured and ensure we can continue to support the 55,000 children and adults living with sight loss in Ireland in 2021 and beyond.”
#RenewedforNCBI
ENDS
Contact June Tinsley, Head of Communications NCBI 01 8821917/ 087 9955076