A Yorkshire town rich in history and culture within easy reach of Hull has launched a unique solution to saving its High Street.
The stunning North Yorkshire town of Selby is within an hour's drive of Hull, or even a simple train ride lasting just over half an hour. It is home to so many charity shops that a trail has been created to help locals and tourists explore them all.
Located on the River Ouse with around 17,000 residents, it is renowned for Selby Abbey, one of Britain's largest abbeys - even surpassing some cathedrals in size. The town boasts a rich history dating back to Roman and Viking times and is closely linked with the nearby Drax power station, whose massive cooling towers dominate the landscape.
However, in recent years, Selby has gained recognition as a hub for charity shops, with six located on the high street alone. There's Martin House, which provides free family-led hospice care for children and young people with life-limiting illness, and branches of St Leonard's Hospice, Scope and the British Heart Foundation.
There's also RSPCA York, Harrogate & District, a self-funded and separately registered charity to the national RSPCA that supports the York Animal Home and local animals in need. Finally, The Big Store - the charity shop of The Big Communitea - which supports mental health and wellbeing in the town through drop-ins, therapy, and practical help.
Among the other charity shops in the town are branches of Bernardo's and Cancer Research UK. Another four charity shops can be found in Selby.
They include Mama Na Mtoto, which works to save the lives of mothers and babies in the UK and Kenya. Selby Hands of Hope provides help to alleviate financial hardship in Selby and raise money for Yorkshire Cancer Research.
The Selby Community Furniture Store collects furniture for free and upcycles and refurbishes it before selling it on. Finally, Shelby Scrap CIC provides low-cost source materials for local groups and people.
Despite their popularity, these volunteer-run shops have faced challenges dealing with unsuitable donations, leading to waste and additional costs. In response, local charity Up for Yorkshire launched The Shop for the Future project as part of its Zero Shelby initiative.
This project aims to support these shops by helping them sort through unsuitable donations and dispose of waste sustainably, reports the Express. It also seeks to celebrate their contributions to the community and raise awareness about their work among both locals and visitors.
The initiative kicked off with the creation of a Trail Map, which outlines the locations of all the charity shops across the town, enabling you to visit each one in turn. As part of the initiative, a Sustainable Fashion show is scheduled to be held at Selby Abbey on November 12.
Matt Fisher, community development lead for Up for Yorkshire, expressed to BBC News that they view the town's second-hand shops as a "strong starting point for change and an exciting opportunity to create a sustainable and vibrant high street to be enjoyed by everyone".
In addition to these, there are numerous gift shops, homeware stores, vintage and antique outlets. For book enthusiasts, The Book Circle, an independent bookshop on Finkle Street, is a must-visit - and for those feeling a bit peckish, local favourite Mister C fish and chips shop is renowned as one of the best in the UK.