The Giving Shop left its previous premises on Friday 26th February 2016. Since that time a new location in "the Market Place" had been sought but without success.

The Giving Shop successfully operated from 26th November 2012 to 26th Feb 2016, six days a week from 10am - 4pm.

The result of all this hard work has helped many lonely and vulnerable people gain friendship and self esteem, as they come to know of God’s love for them over a cup of tea or coffee and a biscuit or cake.

Over 26,000 visitors donated £25,000 to various local community charities and projects, with 33516 goods brought into the shop valued at over £100,000 - AMAZING.

THE GIVING SHOP

ADJACENT TO ICELAND SUPERMARKET

UNIT 12, WHARFSIDE SHOPPING CENTRE PENZANCE

People just come in for a natter and a cuppa - they end up "off loading" worries, problems - troubles heard by compassionate volunteers with a listening ear and a hopeful heart.

Every high street should have - A Giving Shop !!

18 uniforms were made in the Giving Shop similar to that worn by Nurse Nellie Spindler, the first nurse to be fatally wounded in WW1. They were used during a parade in Belgium during the commemoration services 100 years after the commencement of WW1 

New signage clearly identifies CTIPA (Churches Together in Penzance Area) in the marketplace - open for gifts for Food Bank, Breakfast Project, Street Pastors, Women's Aid and Breadline.

Also a place where you can be listened to and heard by friendly volunteers. Situated in the Wharfside Shopping Centre in Penzance, come in for a cuppa and meet the friends.

Case Study - Superfast Broadband

Click on the lick below read the real story

(http://www.superfastcornwall.org/about-sfc/digital-inclusion/digital-inclusion-stories)  

Some of the 27 graduates, being handed their certificates by Gulval Councillor Michael Lovegrove, followed by a tea party organised by the volunteers of the Giving shop. They students had achieved Level One, and some Level Two, which covered such elements as emails, Word Documents, Skype and Facebook.

David Smith, Chairman of Churches Together in Penzance Area says, ”Older people need to know how to “Go Compare” to get the best utility or insurance quotes to lower their bills and we have helped to make this happen. We have opened up a world of knowledge available to them all through excessing the Internet and we have 30 prospective new students ready to start the next group of courses starting soon. Our oldest graduate was 89 years of age, which proves that no one is ever to old to learn.” 

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby

visits the Giving Shop -

Tap onto this amazing link - gxYP72tmm9

Archbishop Justin Welby with David H Smith, Churches Together in Cornwall - Missioner

On 16th November 2013 Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby and Bishop Tim Thornton visited The Giving Shop in the Wharfside Centre, Penzance.

The Archbishop declared, " It's amazing the amount of community work that is happening inside this shop. I agree with David it is an ideal model that could be replicated elsewhere in the Country."  

The volunteers of The Giving Shop have ensured that the shop has been opened six days a week - 10am until 4pm and presently supports:-

CTIPA Food Bank - CTIPA Street Pastors - CTIPA Breakfast Project - West Cornwall Women's Aid - Breadline.

and has recently celebrated its 2nd Birthday with the volunteers

CTIPA - The Giving Shop “It is in giving that we receive”

Click here for the History of The Giving Shop - Case study1.pdf

Local charities are supported by members of the local community offering gifts to be presented to others.

The Giving Shop which is open Mondays through to Saturdays, from

Various shelves inside the shop are designated for gifts of tinned and dried food or useful new items such as toys, toiletries, flip flops, sleep bags, blankets, bedding, etc which can be used by the various projects. 

Two young people use part of their school holidays to make birthday cards, for grandma's and granddads.

Donations handed in over the counter have resulted in cheque payments to:

CTIPA Food Bank

Children in Need (Social Services)

CTIPA Breakfast Project

South West Women's Aid

CTIPA Street Pastors

Newlyn Seaman's Mission

Breadline - St Petroc's

Cold Winter Allowance through Cornwall Council.

The Kernow Credit Union - has a "point" inside the shop offering considerably lower interest rates than alternative payday loan shops on the High Street in Penzance.

Kernow Credit Union - A real savings opportunity and lending source at the very lowest rates. Helping people “on site” towards a much cheaper alternative than any pay day loans.

KCU - OPENING HOURS -

Mondays 12noon – 3pm and on

Fridays 10am – 1pm

OVER 200 SILVER SURFERS HAVE

GAIN GRADUATION

The Silver Surfers of The Giving Shop Graduate.

The volunteers of the CTIPA Giving Shop recognised that there was little support within the community to train and educate those over retirement age in the realms of new technology. So the challenge was to find volunteer Tutors to run six weekly half day courses for this age group, many of whom had never touched a keyboard. Nicola Bytheway, Jane Morgan of Superfast Broadband and Alan Collins kindly came forward and offered their time to educate others.

Pictured are some being handed their certificates by Gulval Councillor Mario Fonk, followed which was followed by a tea party organised by the volunteers in the Giving shop. They had achieved Level One, and some Level Two, which covered such elements as emails, Word Documents, Skype and Facebook.

David Smith, Chairman of Churches Together in Penzance Area says, ”Older people need to know how to “Go Compare” to get the best utility or insurance quotes to lower their bills and we have helped to make this happen. We have opened up a world of knowledge available to them all through excessing the Internet and we have 27 prospective new students ready to start the next group of courses starting soon. Our oldest graduate was 89 years of age, which proves that no one is ever to old to learn.”