We are so proud to be partnering with the Charity Retail Association to deliver Charity Retail Learning to the sector. 

The Charity Retail Academy™ was founded in 2020 as a direct result of the COVID pandemic and the need to communicate more online. It is an arm of The Charity Retail Consultancy and helps support charities with all aspects of their retail and trading operations.

Charity retail training – in the bag!

About Charity Retail Learning™

We are proud and passionate charity retailers with an aim to provide high quality, accessible learning opportunities for the sector. Having headed up chains such as Save the Children, Cats Protection, The Children’s Society, St Gemma’s Hospice and Martin House Children’s Hospice ourselves, we understand what makes a successful charity retail operation – and it all starts with the team.

We know that finding relevant, affordable training you can trust can be almost impossible – so we created the CRL to make the process simple, reliable and affordable.

What we offer

A one stop shop of online learning opportunities, specifically designed by and for charity retailers.

Current courses cover subjects including:

  • Health & Safety
  • Volunteering
  • Customer service
  • Stock
  • Charity retail essentials
  • eCommerce
  • Managing retail teams
  • Engagement and marketing
  • Wellbeing
  • Digital skills

All our tutors are either charity retailers themselves, or are experts in their field and have developed their courses with guidance and support from us to ensure they meet our audience’s needs.

We work hard to keep costs low to make the courses as accessible as possible to the whole range of charity retailers – whether you have one shop or hundreds, we can provide the right course for you and your team.

About the Charity Retail Association (CRA)

The CRA is the primary membership association for charity shops in the UK.

The charity retail sector generates more than £330m surplus funds per year from more than a billion pounds of turnover, and harnesses the skills of more than 233,000 volunteers nationwide. Charity retail promotes charitable causes and an environmentally sustainable retail experience.  CRA UK members run around 9000 shops between them.

What the CRA do

  • Lobby on key issues including Gift Aid, waste charging and donated stock supply
  • Provide a sense of community and collaboration both online and through a comprehensive schedule of events
  • Promote best practice through policy guidance, mentoring and other practical resources
  • Increase public support for charity retail through campaigns
  • Carry out and commission research, such as market analysis and specialist reports for bench-marking and informing decision-makers, our members and the public
  • Provide training and learning opportunities

To find out more please visit www.charityretail.org.uk

Charity Retail Learning is a UK Registered Learning Provider :  UKPRN: 10087672

To browse at our full range of courses click here.

Get in touch to discuss your needs or to find out more.

Bespoke Training

We also work with charities of all sizes to provide bespoke, meaningful and affordable training for staff and volunteers at all levels of the retail team.

Our courses are developed in close consultation with the organisation to ensure we cover everything you need and our feedback is always highly rated.

We’ve got many years of direct charity retail experience so can always provide you with the exact learning opportunities you are looking for.

Get in touch to discuss your needs or to find out more.

My team have really enjoyed and benefited from the training. It’s been simple to access, great value for money and so good to be able to have a one-stop shop for all my team’s training needs.

Wandsworth Oasis, Iain Burnett, Head of Retail

The Charity Retail Consultancy ran 2 training days for the shop managers on recruiting and retaining volunteers, and understanding and acquiring donated stock needs. The courses not only improved the team’s knowledge on these critical areas, but they provided brilliant tools that could be implemented locally. The shop managers rated both courses very highly, felt listened to, valued and motivated to put their new skills into action. One shop recruited 5 new volunteers within a week by implementing one new idea!

Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice, Sunny Allison Head of Retail