Dorking is the proud home of many charity shops supporting a variety of important causes while also offering affordable, good quality second-hand clothes, home goods and books. Sadly Oxfam Bookshop has decided to close the Dorking branch. The passionate volunteers would like to find a way to try and keep the branch open!

My brother Will is autistic and has been volunteering here for a few years. Volunteering at Oxfam Bookshop has proven invaluable as it gives him experience of working in a retail environment while accommodating his additional needs. His confidence has grown but sadly so far he’s not been able to find any other job opportunities in the local area. He is just one of the volunteers vying to keep the shop open as without it, he sadly has few opportunities available to him that can work around his additional needs. 

Buying second hand books also has huge environmental advantages. By buying used books you are saving pre-loved tomes from landfill, trees used in the production of new books and get to share on all the emotional journeys of their previous owners - plus I think we can all agree old books smell the best! It’s also a way of accessing books for less money and stumbling on some hidden gems. Will once told me someone had brought in some Harry Potter books translated into Scots!

Let’s prove that demand for second hand books and the good Oxfam Bookshop does for the local community is here in Dorking. Please sign and share this petition, if you can afford to please pop in and buy a book. Let’s find a way to save our shop!