The Mind charity shop in Jesmond has raised £1,500 in their recent charity raffle, with the winner receiving a Newcastle United football shirt signed by Callum Wilson.

Volunteers at the store have worked hard over the past few months organising a raffle to boost donations for Mind, revealing to JesmondLocal that £1,500 has been raised overall.

The main prize up for grabs in the raffle was the shirt, kindly donated by Newcastle striker Wilson.

Stacey Wilson, the footballer’s wife, was a volunteer at the store until June this year, and helped to organise the donation.

“Stacey was a very valued member of the team and has been incredibly helpful in sourcing the shirt for us to raffle off,” Caroline Nixon, manager of the charity shop, told JesmondLocal.

Nixon added: “We have also spoken to Callum and Stacey and they are overjoyed with the result.”

On November 4th, the name of the shirt’s winner, a medical engineer called Batool, was pulled out of a box by Nixon. A video of the announcement was also posted on the shop’s Instagram account for those who could not be there.

Tilly Nixon, a volunteer at the store, told JesmondLocal: “Our winner was incredibly excited. She was smiling from ear to ear when she collected her prize.”

“It was a lovely moment”, Caroline added.

Located on St George’s Terrace, the Mind shop opened in March 2023. The shop sells anything from clothes to home decor, and all profits go to the Mind charity.  

Mind specialises in aiding people who are struggling with their mental health, and since 2021, have had their support systems accessed by over 21 million people. With Stephen Fry as president, the charity offers a variety of different support systems, such as phonelines, professional mental health training in the workplace and campaigns for change.

Tilly Nixon told JesmondLocal: “It has been so rewarding to see that we can raise further funds for Mind above our normal sales.”

She added: “Every ticket bought counted and the proceeds are going to help the charity massively.”

Although the store only opened earlier this year, Mind shop has already proved popular. “I always pop into Mind if I need any new outfits,” said Jesmond resident Ella Newins. “The clothes are always great quality, and I can feel like I am making a difference to a special cause at the same time.”

To find out about how you can make a difference to Mind, visit their shop on St George’s Terrace, or find them on Instagram.