Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Alderman Graham Warke, visited their local Vincent’s in Strabane in celebration of Second Hand September and they were invited to choose an outfit to wear at an upcoming civic event.
Vincent’s Strabane is one of 33 St Vincent de Paul shops across the country which provides new and lightly worn clothing at affordable prices, as well as providing an income for the Society which is used to support those in need in the local community.
Mayor Warke said: “I was absolutely delighted to visit the Vincent’s store to get to see for myself the great work going on and to chat with the staff and customers about the important role that the store plays in Strabane town.
“Second Hand September is a fantastic initiative and it was great to hear more about all that it entails, and it was also great to pick up an outfit for myself that I’m sure will come in very handy during my time as Mayor.
“I want to thank St Vincent de Paul for inviting me and wish them well as they continue their fantastic work within Strabane and further afield.”
Speaking about the visit by the Mayor of Derry and Strabane District Council, Brendan McKernan, Chair of SVP Retail Committee, said: “We were delighted to welcome the Mayor to Vincent’s Strabane to see firsthand the valuable work of our shop in serving the local community.
“We were grateful that Alderman Warke took time from their busy schedule to meet with our shop staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly to bring Vincent’s back to life safely after lockdown.
“During Second Hand September we are urging people to dig deep into their wardrobes and donate their unwanted clothing, as well as visiting their local Vincent’s to browse the treasures we have in store. And we look forward to seeing what Alderman Warke chose during their visit to wear at an upcoming event.”
There are 33 Vincent’s shops in Northern Ireland and a total of 227 in Republic of Ireland, making it the largest charity retailer on the island. The profits generated from the charity shops are recycled into local Conferences to support those in need.
Follow Vincent’s on facebook at: www.facebook.com/SVPVincentsNorthernRegion