Walcot Community Shop has been tackling poverty in the town for almost twenty years.

It's a charity shop with a difference because as well as selling useful secondhand household goods for people on a tight budget, the volunteers who staff it use the profits for a fund that helps people in the community.

“We’re a two edged sword,” said Peter Mallinson, chairman of the board of directors.

“We sell quality second hand furniture and clothes at low prices for people who couldn’t afford more expensive items.

“And with the money we provide assistance to anyone in Swindon who may need a bit of help."

The charity says it will help anyone who comes through the door in genuine need of its help.

“We were set up for the relief of poverty in the local area, and all our profits go to benefit people in Swindon,” added Peter.

In the past the organisation has paid the costs for a woman who had to travel to Oxford to visit her terminally ill husband.

It has also paid for a child with terminal cancer to visit Disneyland and bought school shoes for disadvantaged children.

And when an elderly woman was mugged just a few doors away from the store, the charity dipped into its fund to make sure the money snatched from her was replaced.

Peter explained: “What makes us a successful charity is that we can react to a situation quickly and generously.

“We can provide properly targeted relief to alleviate where there is a genuine case of poverty.”

The organisation will also help anyone who can’t afford Christmas supplies this year, offering to take them round a supermarket and pay for their shopping at the end.

“We try and avoid just giving people money because we don’t know if that will actually go towards helping the problem,” said Peter. “But if we can buy something for people we will do that, or if it’s an item in our shop they need, we can let them have it for free.”

The shop in Sussex Square is completely self sufficient and does not rely on grants or support from other larger organisations.