Carrier bag surcharge helps raise £1,643 for Hope House

Mark Williams Tuffins General Manager commented: “We are always keen to support local community charities, with Hope House being our main benefactor throughout the year. By shopping locally with us, customers can be assured we always give something back into the local economy.”

With fundraising at an all time low for many charities every penny that can be raised by local businesses and the Public is essential and really counts. Shoppers at Tuffins welsh stores have been either bringing in their own bags purchasing the Harry Tuffins Bag for Life or accepting to pay the new surcharge introduced in Wales on the 1st October 2011 when bags have been left at home, hence such a fabulous amount being raised to support this great charity.

Vanessa Thomas, Fundraising Manager at Hope House said: ““We are delighted that Harry Tuffins chose Hope House to receive the first three months of donations from carrier bag charges and would like to say a huge Thank You to the store and to their customers for this fabulous sum. The money raised will pay for three months of nursing consumables that we use at the hospice such as dressings, oxygen and syringes to look after the children and their very complex medical and nursing needs. Thank you all so much for this help.”

In the run up to the law's introduction, the management at Harry Tuffins were concerned that customers would be offended by the 5p charge on bags. However now after 3 months into the introduction, customers understand the rationale behind this move to charging and also when they realize that the proceeds from the 5p surcharge is being donated to local children's charity Hope House they are happier to buy one. Since the introduction of the surcharge the Company has seen a marked reduction in the use of single use carrier bags throughout its Welsh stores.