- Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity has opened its first high-street store in the city
- The store was officially opened by 6-year-old Adam Courtenay, a patient at Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Children
- The shop will offer a variety of high-quality, pre-loved baby and toddler products as well as a Wee Activity Zone for children
Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, has today (Saturday 24th September), launched its first brick-and-mortar store in the heart of the city.
Situated on the first floor at Buchanan Galleries, the store officially opened its doors to the public at 10am following a ribbon cutting ceremony, led by Adam Courtenay, a patient undergoing treatment at Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Children.
Adam, who recently celebrated his 6th birthday, was born with the life-limiting neurological condition Sturge-Weber Syndrome. The rare condition affects just one in every 50,000 births, and it is believed that Adam is one of only six children in the UK where both sides of the brain are affected.
Adam’s family have raised tens of thousands of pounds for Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity. Inspired by their son, the family have taken on numerous fundraising challenges, including treks of the Arctic and Mont Blanc, a cycle from London to Paris, and the notoriously tough 4 x 4 x 48 challenge pioneered by Navy SEAL David Goggins.
Louise Courtenay (Adam’s mum) commented: “It was a privilege for Adam to be invited to officially open Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity’s new store in the heart of Glasgow. As parents to a son with extremely complex medical needs, we have first-hand experience of the amazing work the charity does on a daily basis, and we just want to do our bit to help in any way we can.”
To celebrate the launch, the charity has planned a fun-filled weekend with a face-painter, balloon modeller and Marvel superheroes assembling at the new store. Those who visit during the launch weekend will also take home a bag filled with lots of little treats and surprises.
Families to the new charity shop at Buchanan Galleries will be able to purchase high-quality, pre-loved baby and toddler clothing including hand-knitted items, along with an array of larger products including second-hand cots and bouncers, all at affordable prices. Visitors will also be able to find out more information about the charity and its work supporting brave young patients at Scotland’s busiest Children’s Hospital.
To give parents a well-earned rest during their visit, children will be able to try their hand at an array of arts and crafts as well as soft play at the store’s Wee Activity Zone. There will also be a reading nook for those looking for some quiet downtime during their shopping trip.
Each month, the store will also host special themed events for children.
The charity shop will be supported by volunteers at Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity and all proceeds will go directly to help fund life-changing projects, services, and medical equipment at the children’s hospital in Glasgow to support children with serious illnesses and their families.
The opportunity for the charity to open its first ever store has been granted by long-term partners Buchanan Galleries. The Glasgow shopping centre has raised more than £249,000 for the charity since its partnership began in 2015, by running various fundraising events within the shopping centre, including the sale of the limited edition ‘Wee Big Yins’ minifigures in 2021 which raised a whopping £9,793.92 in just one day.
Chief Executive, Kirsten Watson at Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “The customers, retailers and team at Buchanan Galleries have embraced the charity since the launch of our partnership in 2015.
“The opportunity to establish our first charity shop in the heart of the city gives us an incredible chance to reconnect with the community after the disruption of the past few years, and we can’t wait to speak to the families, supporters and volunteers who will pass through the doors.
“We hope that offering high quality, affordable products for babies and toddlers will help families in the coming months as the cost-of-living crisis continues, and would like to thank those who have already donated items for their generosity.”
Kathy Murdoch, Centre Manager for Buchanan Galleries, said: “We are thrilled to be able to support Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity to secure a high-street presence and open its first ever store here at Buchanan Galleries. The store offers visitors a fantastic opportunity to find out more about our charity partner and the admirable work they do for the children of Glasgow.
“As a centre, we have been committed in helping to raise vital funds for the charity. Our visitors have been so supportive with any charitable events we’ve hosted, and we hope all our guests pay a visit to the new store to truly get a sense of all the great work they do right on our doorstep.”
The new Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity store is located on the first floor at Buchanan Galleries. The store will be open Wednesday – Sunday from 10am – 4pm. For more information, visit: https://buchanangalleries.co.uk/
