A HIGH street charity shop is bucking national downward sales trend with a bumper January and raft of international sales.

Stock has been flying off the shelves at the St T’s pop-up charity shop on High Row, Darlington, since opening in November last year.

Sales have also been boosted by visitors from countries as far afield as America and Iran, who have left lists with staff of items they want to export home.

“It’s been an extremely busy start to the year,” said shop manager Rose Wills. “We have had a steady flow of customers who have loved the shop, saying how bright, clean and even how posh it is; in fact many of them don’t realise that it is a charity shop.

“You never know what we are going to get in stock. One American visitor has asked us to look out for china tea sets, which he wants to take back to the USA, and an Iranian lady has left a long list of items she is looking for, including crystal glasses, lamps, dressing table, stools and even a fish tank.”

The pop-up store opened in the former Mountain Warehouse shop.

All sales fund St Teresa’s Hospice, Woodland Road, Darlington, which provides free care and support for those affected by life-limiting illness.

“St Teresa’s needs to raise in excess of £3m each year to run its hospice services so every donation and sale is greatly appreciated,” added Ms Wills.

“We recently sold some items of painted furniture to a London-based film company which was making a film in the region. After they completed filming they re-donated the items back to shop and those items have now been re-sold, which is great for the charity.

"Items fly out of the shop and we even have people asking if our volunteers, who refurbish the items, can take commissions to renovate their existing pieces of furniture, which we would love to do in the future if we can attract more volunteers.”

She added: "One of the best parts of this job is seeing some of the more unusual donations people make.

“We have recently been given an antique milliners block, which would make a great decorative piece, and a Victorian copper bedpan, which would look great on someone’s wall.

“It really is a fabulous shop with stock changing everyday; you just never know what we might have in store.”