Avon Wildlife Trust has opened its first pre-loved clothing pop-up shop.

Based in Sparks Bristol, a new creative arts and sustainability hub in the old Marks & Spencer building on Broadmead in Bristol City Centre, the Trust welcomed its first customers over the launch weekend on 13 - 14 May.

This department store with a difference offers shopping, advice, events and art installations on the ground floor. There’s plenty to explore in each department - Fashion, Travel, Garden, Gifts, Re-Use, Food and Energy - which are run by various local organisations including Travel West, Mila Plants, Emmaus, Bristol Energy Network and A Single Thread . Each area will provide ideas on how to take easy (and often money-saving) action on climate, sustainability and wellbeing. The first floor will provide studio, workshop, office and performance spaces for local artists.

Global Goals Centre and Artspace Lifespace are delighted to be working together to create this new venture. The ambition is to provide a vibrant, positive venue where local people and visitors can shop, recycle and explore what a greener, fairer and creative future could look like, breathing new life into the old M&S building on a ‘meanwhile use’ basis until the site is redeveloped.

Keily Elvin, Head of Commercial Development at Avon Wildlife Trust, said:

"We're so proud of how we've been able to create this pop-up shop entirely second-hand, from the pre-loved fashion items we're selling to the rails and mannequins they're displayed on.

"This is such an exciting opportunity for us and we're thrilled with how our opening weekend went! I'm looking forward to continuing to welcome in people who want to make sustainable clothing choices while supporting their local wildlife.

"We're always looking for more donations of pre-loved fashion items. If you've got anything you've been looking to pass on, you can drop them off at our collection point at Grow Wilder!"

Jenny Foster from Global Goals Centre said:

"It’ll still be a department store but just with the occasional surprise. We hope that we can engage a lot more people in feeling hopeful, in finding inspiration to be part of change for a better city and for a better world.”