Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity opens first store in Buchanan Galleries

Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity launched its first brick-and-mortar store in the heart of the city last Saturday, September 24.

Situated on the first floor at Buchanan Galleries, the store opened its doors to the public at 10am following a ribbon cutting ceremony, led by Adam Courtenay - a patient undergoing treatment at Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Children.

Adam, who recently celebrated his 6th birthday, was born with the life-limiting neurological condition Sturge-Weber Syndrome. The rare condition affects just one in every 50,000 births, and it is believed that Adam is one of only six children in the UK where both sides of the brain are affected.

Adam’s family have raised tens of thousands of pounds for Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity. Inspired by their son, the family have taken on numerous fundraising challenges, including treks of the Arctic and Mont Blanc, a cycle from London to Paris, and the notoriously tough 4 x 4 x 48 challenge.

Louise Courtenay (Adam’s mum) commented: “It was a privilege for Adam to be invited to officially open Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity’s new store in the heart of Glasgow. As parents to a son with extremely complex medical needs, we have first-hand experience of the amazing work the charity does on a daily basis, and we just want to do our bit to help in any way we can.”

To celebrate the launch, the charity held a weekend of family-themed events, with a face-painter, balloon modeller, and Marvel superheroes assembling at the new store.

Families to the new charity shop at Buchanan Galleries will be able to purchase high-quality, pre-loved baby and toddler clothing including hand-knitted items, along with an array of larger products including second-hand cots and bouncers, at affordable prices, with the money spent going directly to the charity.

Children visiting the storewill be able to try their hand at an array of arts and crafts as well as soft play at the store’s ‘Wee Activity Zone.’ There will also be a reading nook for those looking for some peace and quiet.

The store will also host special themed events for children every month. The charity shop will be supported by volunteers at Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity and all proceeds will go directly to help fund life-changing projects, services, and medical equipment at the children’s hospital in Glasgow to support children with serious illnesses and their families.

The opportunity for the charity to open its first ever store has been granted by long-term partners Buchanan Galleries.

The Glasgow shopping centre has raised more than £249,000 for the charity since its partnership began in 2015, by running various fundraising events within the shopping centre, including the sale of the limited edition ‘Wee Big Yins’ minifigures in 2021 - which raised £9,793.92 in just one day.

Chief Executive, Kirsten Watson at Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “The customers, retailers and team at Buchanan Galleries have embraced the charity since the launch of our partnership in 2015.

“The opportunity to establish our first charity shop in the heart of the city gives us an incredible chance to reconnect with the community after the disruption of the past few years, and we can’t wait to speak to the families, supporters and volunteers who will pass through the doors.

“We hope that offering high quality, affordable products for babies and toddlers will help families in the coming months as the cost-of-living crisis continues, and would like to thank those who have already donated items for their generosity.”

The new Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity store is located on the first floor at Buchanan Galleries. The store will be open Wednesday – Sunday from 10am - 4pm.