Second Chance, and Shap Community Enterprise, was established after Age UK Carlisle Eden closed their long standing charity shop/drop-in centre in the village.
The Age UK shop was a social hub for many Shap residents. It had provided valuable volunteering opportunities, was a great opportunity to recycle unwanted goods for a social purpose and had been a regular fixture on our main street for over 15 years.
Volunteers from the old shop, along with other local residents, saw the closure of the Age UK centre as a golden opportunity to start something new from scratch, a venture that would could use the funds raised by a charity shop for our own network of local community groups, clubs and associations.
As the idea began to take shape a small group of local residents offered to buy a high street premises for our new shop to be based in. Their offer to the charity was a long term, low rent base from which to run the charity shop.
Second Chance charity shop is now open and trading and continue to distribute grants.
We think this is a fantastic example of a small community working together in creative ways to help protect the valuable social networks and opportunities that make it so special.
Our Volunteers
Our Trustees
Shap Community Enterprise is led by a Board of Trustees;
Derrick Newsome
Elaine Allison
Andrea Hodgson
Katie Chappell
Robert Poulson
Sebastian Grose
It is the Trustees repsonsibility to ensure the charity is running effectively and to meet quarterly to assess applications and distribute grants to local groups.