Shining light on The Next Chapter

The Next Chapter is a book and music charity shop where the emphasis is on quality, value for money, and building community spirit.

The Next Chapter

Perseverance, a lot of effort, a healthy dose of bravado, an ability to beg and borrow, and a strong community spirit are all essential for setting up an independent charity shop.

The story behind ‘The Next Chapter’

At the end of August 2024, Oxfam informed the shop team that they were closing their shop on Huntingdon High Street as a result of a ‘strategic reorganisation’. This came as a shock to the team as the shop had always made a good profit and was highly regarded within Oxfam and the local community. When the closure was announced, they received overwhelming support from the town. This encouraged them to look at setting up an independent charity shop, in the same location, with profits going to local causes.

Initially, the idea seemed daunting. The whole team was behind the idea and they quickly set to planning, researching, and organising. They sought advice from Hunts Forum (now Support Cambridgeshire) and other independent charities in the area, including The Volunteer Centre. They received a lot of support from the Huntingdonshire History Festival, the landlord, the property agents, Oliver James, Oxfam, local media, including HCRFM (Local Radio for Huntingdon), and others.

Finally, the shop shut on Christmas Eve, and the new shop, The Next Chapter, opened in early March this year. The challenges they faced were significant. Although they had a lot of experience running a shop, there were aspects of the operation of the shop, including insurance, payroll, and tills, which Oxfam had handled. They had to do a lot of learning very quickly. To raise start-up money, they ran a successful Crowdfunder and received very generous donations from customers and townspeople. A local design company, Avidd, helped them with their new branding and designing their logo and shop front. By ‘shopping around’ and using local companies, they were able to significantly reduce the running costs of the shop.

How have they grown since?

Since opening, they have received tremendous support from the local community. Sales have increased, donations have improved, and they have attracted more excellent volunteers. As an independent book and music charity shop, they have more freedom. For example, they are now able to promote the work of local artists and other local community organisations in the shop. They are currently reaching out to local organisations to see how they may be able to help fund projects.

How can you help?

We hope that the shop will be a community hub for the local area. We continue to appeal for quality books, vinyl records, music CDs, DVDs, SLR cameras, LEGO, musical instruments, collectible stamps, and old British and foreign money.