TV guru's charity shop donates slice of profits to Haiti

The Living and Giving charity shop in Stockbridge, designed and opened by TV retail guru Mary Portas in November, made a staggering 37,000 in the run-up to Christmas. Bosses at Save the Children said a chunk of that money would now be put towards helping the survivors of the devastating earthquake.

Save the Children Ambassador Portas, star of TV's Mary Queen of Charity Shops, helped to boost the success of the charity shop with donations of designer bargains, as well as high-street clothes.

Some of the stock in the new shop was donated by celebrities including Jamie Oliver and Peaches Geldof.

Rob McMillan, the regional manager for Save the Children charity shops,

said:"It's really smashed all expectations. In normal circumstances we take between 3,000 and 4,000 in our first week, but in Stockbridge we took 5,000 on our first day.

For every pound spent in the shop, 80 pence goes to the children's charity, who are among the organisations helping with the relief effort in Haiti.

A large amount of the pre-Christmas proceeds are going directly to rescue projects on the island too.

Beverley Kirk, Edinburgh-based Save the Children charity worker, said: "We've been providing shelter, food packs and kits of household essentials.

"If there are people walking in with money that they want to go directly to the Haiti appeal, then they can be assured that's where it will go."

The earthquake's death toll is estimated at 200,000 – with around two million thought to be homeless.

Fundraising efforts have continued locally, with a campaign by Edinburgh-based Mercy Corps, backed by the Evening News, so far raising more than 130,000.