Croydon (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Croydon’s Garwood Foundation receives £800 from a secret designer handbag drop organised by a Knightsbridge influencer to aid its fundraising campaign.
At the end of last month, Hanushka Toni, the owner of Sellier Knightsbridge, a luxury goods re-seller with half a million followers, decided to make their next “shop drop” at the Garwood charity shop on Selsdon Road.
It was a race to be there and be eligible to win one of four designer bags because the date, time, and place were not made public until right before the drop.
Those in line along Selsdon Road received raffle tickets, and four winners were chosen at random as the line grew.
Designer handbags from Chloé, Alexander McQueen, Louis Vuitton, and a vintage Chanel were among those up for auction.
The winning ticket holders may buy the designer bags for £100 apiece or the vintage Chanel for £500, with the revenues going to the Garwood Foundation’s Space to Thrive appeal.
The designer bags retail for several hundred pounds each, and the classic Chanel for even more.
Garwood was excited to be part of the race to raise the last £100,000 of the £2.5 million objective in the Space to Thrive fundraiser.
According to Aimee Twomey of the charity,
“it was a novel way to raise money for our appeal and generated such good feeling and excitement in our community.”
The atmosphere was buzzing with many social media followers excited to meet Hanushka and the Sellier Knightsbridge team in person, too. Our shop’s brilliant staff are always ready to go above and beyond, and they were particularly happy to see some new faces in the store.”
Since Toni’s bag drops started last year and have been so popular, they wanted to provide more. They “were scared no one would turn up” because they had never been to a Garwood store before.
Toni’s team—which included a personal assistant and someone on social media—was appropriately taken aback by the lines outside the vape shops. “It was incredible! They said, “A hidden gem of a charity shop with lots of lovely buyers and hopefuls.”
Garwood’s Space to Thrive appeal is being supported by the proceeds from the sale of the bags and kind donations made on the day.
Since the Rutherford School’s construction is anticipated to take until the end of the year or the beginning of 2026, it is imperative that the last funds be raised in order to finish the project.
How did the community react to the charity shop drop event?
These kinds of events frequently create excitement and draw new customers to charity stores. Because individuals believe they are supporting a worthy cause and getting unique goods, they might encourage a sense of community involvement.
An influencer’s participation can increase public knowledge of the organization and its goals, which may draw in new contributors and supporters.
The fact that the event raised £800 indicates that the community responded favorably to it and that individuals were keen to support the Garwood Foundation’s mission.
Influencers’ social media posts can increase the event’s visibility and inspire more people to support local causes and visit charity stores.
In order to reach its fundraising goals, the Garwood Foundation keeps looking for support for its initiatives and stresses the value of donations and community involvement.