Shopping with a heart! The town of Sevenoaks boasts a fantastic selection of charity shops. Use this great shop-by-shop guide to explore sustainable retail in a beautiful setting.
Not just an environmentally-friendly trend, there are other benefits to charity shopping. With every purchase you are supporting an organisation with a meaningful and humanitarian mission (our guide tells you exactly what), something to feel proud of your bag gets heavier. Throw in the low costs of charity shopping and you can see why it is such a popular way to shop.
Setting off point and Shop One
Your journey starts sustainably – of course – at Sevenoaks station (served by Southeastern trains from London (30 mins) or from Tonbridge/Hastings to the south). On leaving the station’s main exit, turn right up the hill along London Road. After ten minutes continue on London Road past Marks & Spencer (on your left). Shortly after you will find Hospice in the Weald on your right, at 61 London Road (TN14 1AU).
Hospice in the Weald
Hospice in the Weald supports terminally ill patients in West Kent and East Sussex with 24-hour care. There is a good collection of sports gear, women’s bags, clothing and crockery in this branch, the smaller of the two in Sevenoaks.
Shop Two
Turn right as you leave the shop and walk for two minutes up London Road. Pass Sevenoaks’ iconic theatre, The Stag, and reach a junction opposite Waitrose. Take a sharp left back down the hill on the High Street (also known as Dartford Road), walk for approximately one minute to find Oxfam on your right at 91 High Street (TN13 1LE).
Oxfam
Oxfam is a global movement of millions of people working together to end poverty. Some key areas the charity address are: water for all, quality for women, climate change, health and education, beating hunger and emergencies. You can expect a great selection of women’s shoes, jigsaws, CDs, DVDs, and a variety of ethically-source produce as part of their very own ‘Sourced by Oxfam’ collection.
Shop Three
When exiting Oxfam you need look no further than the other side of the road and you will see… another huge Hospice in the Weald! This is 96 High Street (TN13 1LP).
Hospice in the Weald
This Hospice in the Weald has the same worthwhile mission as the other shop (see above). The most noticeable difference is in size. This shop is one of the biggest charity shops on the High Street and has plenty to offer, including big sections for kids, books, women’s and men’s clothes and curtains.
Shop Four
Turn right as you leave the shop. Go past Starbucks and cross the High Street again, and here you will find The Children’s Trust at 111 High Street, TN13 1UP.
The Children’s Trust
The Children’s Trust is the UK’s leading charity for children with brain injury and neuro-disability. They deliver rehabilitation, education and community services through skilled teams who work with children and young people, and their families. The charity shop has a wide range of items on offer.
Shop Five
Exit left and just a stone’s throw away you will find British Heart Foundation shop (121 High Street, TN13 1UP).
British Heart Foundation
British Heart Foundation funds over £100 million of research each year into all heart and circulatory diseases, addressing heart disease, strokes, vascular dementia and diabetes. They have great calendars and cards on offer, as well as many shoes suitable for all genders.
Shop Six
Turn left out the shop and head left for less than one minute. The next stop on our trail is Cancer Research UK at 137 High Street, TN13 1UX.
Cancer Research UK
Everyone knows cancer is common, but did you know one in two people get cancer during their life? By shopping at Cancer Research you can support their leading cancer research and support services for cancer victims. The store features puzzles, cygnet yarns, presents and a lot of women’s clothes.
Shop Seven
Look directly across the road as you leave and follow your eye-line to Oxfam Bookshop (142 High Street, TN13 1XE).
Oxfam Bookshop
Naturally, this Oxfam Bookshop shares the same wonderful mission as the previous Oxfam shop on the high street (see above). This shop specialises in selling books, often with promotional deals. Their most popular categories are fiction, new literature, crime and children. Their most valuable books – collectables – tend to be purchased online so please do give that a browse too.
Return to station
Head right as you leave the shop. Shortly after at the traffic lights cross over and go down Pembroke Road to return to the station (or head over to the award-winning Sevenoaks Bookshop for tea, cake and a browse!). Walk for three minutes before continuing down and right onto London Road and back to Sevenoaks station the way you came, on your left.
There you have it! A quick and easy guide to charity shopping in the heart of Sevenoaks. We hope you find some super value items whilst being able to support the sustainable retail industry. In the unlikely event you don’t find anything this time round please do not be disheartened. The beauty of charity shopping is its unpredictability. You don’t know what you want until you see it, and suddenly you can never live without a particular garment. Most importantly with charity shopping, celebrate the charitable cause you are supporting and be proud of it. We hope you enjoy this trail and pick up a meaningful hobby for life!