Having spent 12 months working intensively with the charity sector, Mary Portas, Britain’s leading retail guru, came to a singular and focusing conclusion. Rather than taking advantage of the economic downturn to prosper, the vast majority of 5500 Britain’s charity shops had become smelly places products go to die.

From Thursday 4th June to Saturday 27th June, Mary Portas with Grazia, helped by many of their friends across the worlds of fashion and retail, will create a new kind of second hand shop in the luxurious surroundings of the Village at Westfield London. A shop, which sits at the heart of a community. A shop people want to be in. A living and giving shop

This shop will be for the benefit of Save The Children, Barnardo’s and Mind.

The Grazia staff are now busy collecting items for sale and this is where we would love for you to get involved. You’ll be able to drop off your classy cast-offs at Mary’s ‘Living and Giving’ Shop, which will be located next door to Donna Ida and Twenty8Twelve on the first floor in The Village.

You can also drop your off donations at Grazia HQ from 19th May to 4th June at 189 Shaftsbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JG. Donations can only be left between 9am and 6pm.

If you can’t make it down to either of the drop-off points, then you can post your donations. Mark parcels clearly with Mary’s Living And Giving Shop and send to Save the Children collection depot in Derby, 4A Cotton Brook Road, Sir Francis Ley Industrial Park South, Derby DE23 8YH.

Opening for just 3 weeks, the boutique is currently being remodelled and unlike most charity shops, will have a chic feel to it. The contents will also be somewhat different to other second hand stores as designers and celebrities alike will be donating an array of designer goodies.

We’ll keep you informed of all the latest on Mary’s shop, including previews of top donations, so bookmark the site to ensure you’re one step ahead of the fashion pack.