Will York and North Yorkshire shops be affected by UK charity losses?

British Heart Foundation has three stores in York, including this one in Bridge Street (Image: Newsquest)

With news of £3.3m of losses at a major UK charity, we have looked into whether shops in York and North Yorkshire will be affected by its proposed closures.

It said on June 4 that proposed closures will take place over the next two financial years, with around 90 stores expected to shut by the end of March 2027 and the remainder by March 2028.

In July, The Press published one list of stores that would be closed and as reported by The Press yesterday, 14 of these stores have already shut.

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The charity has stores in Goodramgate, a recently refurbished premises in Bridge Street, a Home store in Cliton Moor as well as shops in Selby, Thirsk, Beverley and Ripon.

BHF said the decision follows a detailed review of its retail estate, which identified rising operating costs and changing customer habits as key factors making some locations financially unsustainable.

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive of the BHF, said in June: "Our shops mean so much to our colleagues, brilliant volunteers and communities across the UK.

"They are places where people come together to donate, shop and volunteer, helping to make a real difference to lives affected by cardiovascular disease.

"We know this will be a difficult time for our dedicated colleagues and volunteers in affected stores and emphasise our deep appreciation and gratitude for all they have done for BHF and the communities they serve."

The closures are part of a broader effort to ensure the charity’s retail network remains commercially sustainable and continues to generate vital funds for research into cardiovascular disease.

The BHF said it has proposed reducing central teams and functions that support its retail operation.

Dr Griffiths said: "Like most retailers, we are facing an exceptionally challenging trading environment.

"Cardiovascular disease remains one of the UK’s biggest killers and our priority is funding research to save lives.

"We must take the difficult step to close some of our shops to sustain retail’s important contribution to funding BHF’s groundbreaking research."

Despite the closures, the charity will continue to operate a national network of shops and online retail channels, including its website and eBay store.

The BHF said it will continue to evolve its retail operations to reflect changing customer shopping behaviours and donor habits in the years ahead.

Allison Swaine-Hughes, chief commercial officer at the BHF, said in June: "Our success to date has been shaped by the dedication and contribution of our teams across the UK and this has been an incredibly difficult decision following a thorough and careful review.

"We recognise how challenging this will be especially for colleagues whose roles are affected and we are committed to supporting everyone impacted.

"We must act now to ensure a sustainable future for BHF retail.

"Change is essential so we can continue to serve communities across the UK and raise the funds that power our lifesaving research.

"This is about protecting our mission for the long term, even when the decisions in the shorter term are hard."

Supporters can continue to shop and donate items as normal while affected stores remain open.

BHF confirmed the following shop closures over the next two financial years:

Armley
Aberdare
Alfreton
Abingdon
Ashbourne
Alfreton (Home Store)
Bedworth
Burnley
Blyth
Beckenham
Balham
Barnet
Bath
Brighton (Home Store)
Bangor
Blackpool
Cannock
Clacton
Coalville
Christchurch
Cleveleys
Consett
Chorley
Camden
Crawley (Home Store)
Chesterfield
Dumfries
Dewsbury
Dalkeith
Dumfries (Home Store)
Eastbourne
Elgin
Eccles
Finchley
Falmouth
Fulham
Fakenham
Formby
Grays
High Wycombe
Hawick
Harlow
Hammersmith
Huyton
Hornchurch
Helston
Holsworthy
Hartlepool (Home Store)
Harpurhey (Home Store)
Hull (Home Store)
Hereford
Harrow (Home Store)
Ilkeston
Keighley
Kendal
Long Eaton
Long Eaton (Home Store)
Llanelli (Home Store)
Minehead
Newbury
Newton Aycliffe
New Milton
Nuneaton (Home Store)
Newport
Ormskirk
Plymouth
Poole (Home Store)
Perry Barr (Home Store)
Rhyl
Rayleigh
Shrewsbury
Spalding
South Shields
Stockton-on-Tees
Sunderland
Swansea
Sutton Coldfield
Salisbury
Uckfield
West Bromwich (CLR)
Worksop (Home Store)
Wrexham (Home Store)

An earlier version of this story was published on July 20. The Press contacted British Heart Foundation on September 25 for an update on the detail of the future of the York and Selby stores.