Many of them had been volunteering at the St Paul's Anglican Church's Op Shop, and when it suddenly closed on June 25, they were left wondering what to do.

Around 25 volunteers gathered for morning tea to have a chat and the idea for the Gloucester Community Shop was born.

They wanted their volunteer time and effort to go back to the community and by opening their own shop, they would be able to ensure the profits could go directly back into Gloucester.

After the meeting, Di Relf started looking for a location and was quickly told about 41 King Street, across from the Fire Station. 

She funded all the necessary legal requirements to open the shop, secure the location, and get approval from MidCoast Council, as she was determined to get it up and running.

Fellow volunteer, Cedric Salter got the word out on social media, while others spread the news via word of mouth and before long the donations were pouring in.

“The response from the community has been overwhelming,” Doug Pittman said.

Not only have people been donating items and money, but local businesses,as well, providing shelving and signage.

The shop officially opened on Tuesday September 18 with ribbon and cake cutting.

“Volunteers have been working tirelessly, over two days, setting up, displaying and sorting the tremendous amount of donations,” Di said.

All the donations have been organised into different sections with each room featuring its own theme, from children’s goodies to crockery. 

Funds raised from the sale of these items, after expenses, will be made available to the community through an application process.

Any group or organisation can simply write a letter outlining how much they need and what it will be used for and drop it off at the shop.

The committee will assess the requests on a regular basis and determine an outcome as funds become available.

The shop is open Tuesday to Friday from 8am to 2pm and Saturday from 9am until noon, with donations accepted during business hours.