Most industries have been hit hard by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic – with thousands of businesses mothballing and many others shutting down for good.
But one of the sectors that’s suffered the most – yet rarely talked about – is Manchester’s charity shops.
Rolling nationwide closures and changing legislation made traditional fundraising increasingly, as footfall in charity stores fell dramatically throughout 2020.
With a third national lockdown now in force, Manchester’s local charity venues have been forced to get creative in order to stay afloat.
Chapter Six MCR
RSPCA Manchester & Salford is a perfect case in point.
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This animal care organisation overcame the closure of their physical store by launching Chapter Six – an online platform that offers a new way to shop from a local charity.
“We have always dreamed of having an online presence for our retail side,” says the charity.
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“With reduced footfall in our charity shops due to COVID-19 restrictions we have finally been able to dedicate time and resources to making this dream a reality.”
There are some absolute bargains available on the site, too, including products from household names such as Next, Monsoon and Zara, just to name a few.
It’s a platform that lets you fuel your love of sustainable fashion while raising funds to rehabilitate animals. Ideal.
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As RSPCA Manchester & Salford rightly said: “Where else can you buy a dress and know that the proceeds will buy food for an animal in need?”
While this website was launched as an alternative to the physical charity shop experience, it has actually been a creative and successful way to raise money for rehabilitating animals.
“Having our own website gives us a great opportunity to reach more people, and it cuts out any fees paid to third party selling sites that we’ve used in the past,” said the RSPCA team.
“This means that 100% of the money we make goes directly towards the rehabilitation and rehoming of animals in our care!”
Another local charity that has been forced to adopt new methods during the pandemic is Barnardo’s Vintage in Cheadle – the charity’s only vintage and retro shop.
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Despite not having an online platform or postal service available to them, the store has continued to use their social media to promote sustainable style during the lockdown.
“We set up a photo shoot … so customers could see how vintage pieces could work with their high street capsule wardrobes”, says Gemma, the manager of Barnardo’s Vintage.
Although this has helped to raise awareness for the charity and its vintage finds, the combination of the store being closed and the loss of footfall from the usually bustling high street has been incredibly difficult.
Every charity is feeling the pinch – and the sector needs all the help it can get.
“In all honesty, our charity is struggling to keep its head above water”, says a representative for RSPCA Manchester & Salford, who reported that they ran at a loss of £50K, despite receiving help from the government.
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“The fundraising the shops do is vital in keeping our animal centre up and running, and if things continue as they are we don’t know where we’ll be this time next year.
“This is why it’s so important that people continue to spend money with their chosen charity online, or that they donate through any fundraising pages the charities have set up.”
You can visit the likes of RSPCA and Barnado’s online and make a donation to help. Every penny makes a difference.
Style
Manchester United home kit for 2026/27 ‘leaked’ online in unboxing video
Danny Jones
Manchester United’s new home kit for the 2026/27 campaign has reportedly been leaked online in a YouTuber’s unboxing video ahead of next season.
We know fake shirts and dupes can be pretty accurate these days, but it looks very much like this could be the real deal.
Shared by dedicated football kit reviewer, ‘Retro Man‘, who has seemingly revealed the latest Man United jersey, this unveiling lines up with the previously rumoured designs circulated on social media.
A Red Devil himself, the creator has teased previous releases that turned out to be true in the past, so we’ll leave it up to all of you to decide how bona fide you think this supposed home strip is. Ever-reliable footy fashion peers, Footy Headlines, have also shared these images:
Uploaded to the channel on 25 April, Retro Man did a full overview of the United 26/27 home shirt, highlighting key features such as a red-forward collar with black and white accents.
That same trim is repeated on the ends of the sleeves – reminiscent of the 2011/12 iteration, only differing in the more crew neck style – and the back of the neck now simply reads “UNITED”.
It is worth noting that this is specifically the replica shirt that most fans will purchase.
Should it prove to be the genuine article, this will be the 11th Manchester United kit by adidas since they returned as manufacturers over a decade ago, a.k.a. the start of the Louis van Gaal era.
Retro Man has since posted another video showing off what he claims to be the ‘authentic’ version, too; you can check it out in more detail down below.
Looks pretty legit…
As you can see, the official player edition that will be worn on the pitch by actual United squad members (though they are still available to purchase by the public) appears to hold some key distinctions.
Besides some differences around the panelling and stitching, there is also a noticeable textured section along large sections of the interwoven fabric as part of the brand’s breathable and trademark ‘Climacool’ technology.
Elsewhere, the badge itself also looks to have a more embossed/raised finish. If this is the real deal, what do you make of it?
This isn’t the only United kit that’s caught some attention of late, either:
Featured Images — Retro Man (screenshots via YouTube)
Style
Claire’s is closing down stores in the UK and Ireland with more than 1,300 jobs set to be lost
Danny Jones
In another hit to domestic shoppers, Claire’s Accessories is closing down en masse across the UK and Ireland after entering into administration once again.
Falling into an unfortunate financial status for the second time in less than a year, Claire’s will be shutting down all of their standalone stores across Britain, along with their IE branches.
A total of 154 stores will soon disappear, with more than a thousand people set to be put out of work.
Once a mainstay of British high streets up and down the country, the accessory shop known for all things jewellery, piercings and more has ceased trading effective immediately.
Announced at the start of the week and the end of the first full month of Q2, it was confirmed that Claire’s closed their final locations on Monday, 27 April.
With administrators, Kroll, appointed to wrap up business proceedings, an estimated 1,300 English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh workers have now lost their jobs.
Founded way back in 1961 over in the United States, Claire’s has operated across the Atlantic for more than three decades.
However, with various other contemporaries and cheaper online options having appeared over the years, they’ve struggled not just to remain profitable but to compete full stop.
They most recently filed for bankruptcy in the US this past August (2025), with their Belgian, Spanish, and Dutch divisions having already called it quits.
Manchester location(s) have changed a lot over time, but now they’re on the way out (Credit: Arndale)
For many, the outcome isn’t all that surprising, but it will nevertheless be a sad loss for many who have seen multiple generations visit these venues over the years.
Daisy Bradbury -
8th January 2021 
