Retired Burghead couple's VW van becomes pop-up charity shop
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A RETIRED Burghead couple have boosted Help For Heroes with a pop-up charity shop in a van outside their house.
Keith and Valerie Remnant, from Burghead, found themselves with a mass of clothing and household items as lockdown began when their daughter downsized in a house move. After helping with the move, the couple were left with a van-load full of items.
With charity shops closed and nowhere to store the odds and ends, they decided one way to offload the goods and simultaneously help a good cause would be to simply open up the doors to the van and urge people to help themselves in return for a donation.
Naming the van shop K8T (Katie) from its registration plate, they placed an honesty box by the 1992 Volkswagen Transporter and were amazed to raise £60 for Help For Heroes.
When interest appeared to wane after a week they packed up what was left and closed the van doors.
However, since closing they heard that townsfolk had been enquiring as to where the van had gone – so this week it was opened up again due to popular demand, raising another £65 for the charity.
Parked by their garden near the harbourside, people can also donate items as well as take what they need.
Former architect Keith, a carer for Valerie who needs a wheelchair to get around outside, said: "The idea has been very well received locally and on the Burghead Bulls Facebook group. People have been very encouraging and dropping more items off.
"We weren't looking for lots of donations as we were wary of ending up with too much and we do now, in fact, seem to have more stuff than we started with."
The unmanned van will be opened up for as long as there is demand.
Keith added: "It started as a lockdown project really and I imagine we'll keep going with it for as long as people want to contribute to a good cause."
