"JUST because we're a charity shop, it doesn't mean we have to look like a jumble sale," says Tracey Broadbent, retail co-ordinator of Overgate Hospice shops.
Tracey and her colleague Jacqueline Yates, manager of the Brighouse Overgate shop, are huge fans of retail guru Mary Portas, who turned the spotlight on charity shops and gave them a makeover for a reality TV series this summer.
They are determined to make the charity shopping experience as pleasant and rewarding for customers as they can – in the knowledge that it will ultimately be hospice patients and their families who will benefit.
"A lot of what Mary Portas was trying to do made sense. We have had to take a professional approach and become more business-like. We are not only competing with other charity shops but all other shops and stores on the high street. If the stock isn't well-presented and the shop doesn't look inviting, people are not going to come in," said Tracey.
The stakes are high – it costs £1.9 million a year to run Overgate Hospice and just under a quarter of that is raised through the charity's nine Calderdale shops. Recent trends such as an interest in vintage and retro clothing and an awareness of the environmental benefits of recycling have benefited the charity shop sector in general and Tracey believes that in Calderdale people are particularly keen to support a charity based locally.
It hasn't always been plain sailing for the Brighouse store, which opened 15 years ago, but volunteers are now determined to stay ahead of the game. Last month a successful 'glitz and glamour' night at the Thornton Square shop had customers queueing at the door and raised hundreds of pounds, and there was a new development with the opening of an Overgate Hospice furniture shop in Bethel Street in June.
Jacqueline has developed an eagle-eye for top-of-the-range items and knows how to exploit the cachet of a designer label to bring in the pounds.
"We have items by Ted Baker, Radley and other designers and at the moment a beautiful Karen Millen dress will be part of our Christmas promotion.
"We have to make the best of our donated goods, whether they are clothes, accessories, household goods, toys and games or books and CDs.
"Recently we moved the stock around and gave more of a display to toys and games – and sales shot up as a result.
"No stock in the shop is more than three weeks old so our customers will get the chance to see something fresh and different. We make our window displays as eye-catching as we can because that is the way we are going to stand out."
Tracey argues that no donated goods are wasted and that careful recycling enables the charity to make the most of every item.
"Broken necklaces, beads and buttons go to our day care unit where they are made into jewellery which is then sold to raise funds. Stamps, phones, electrical equipment, clothes which can't be sold and other items go for recycling, making us about £2,000 a week."
The shop keeps a good stock of fancy dress items – always popular for New Year's Eve – and 'dressing up' clothes.
"I can always tell when a local school is putting on a show or has a dressing up day. We get a mum dashing in at the last minute looking for a suitable outfit," said Jacqueline.
At the Overgate Hospice furniture shop, managed by Graham Scarborough, beds, sofas, dining tables and bookcases jostle for space with an electric organ and a more unusual trouser press as well as mirrors, pictures and lights.
"People who are on a tight budget want the same as everyone else – a decent sofa or a nice table – and this shop gives them a chance to obtain them," he said.
"We get people giving us old furniture when they move house or when they downsize or buy new. If it is still in good condition and has some life left in it, we can find a good home for it."

Charity shop facts

• The first charity shop was opened in the 19th century by the Salvation Army to sell cheap second-hand clothing. Other charities operated shops in the Second World War to raise money for the war effort and relieve hardship.


• Modern charity shops as we understand them today, selling donated goods, date from 1947. After the war Oxfam was swamped by donations, mostly of blankets and clothing, by the public to alleviate suffering in Greece and set up a shop to sell the surplus and provide further aid.


• There are about 7,500 charity shops in the UK with more than 120,000 volunteers nationwide.


• Overgate Hospice has nine charity shops in Calderdale. Income from the shops provides a quarter of the Elland hospice's annual running costs of £1.9 million.