One of the UK's leading disability charities is set to dramatically reduce its high street footprint, with plans to close more than half of its shops across England and Wales.
Major Restructuring for High Street Charity Chain
Scope has confirmed it will shut 77 of its 138 charity shops by the end of March 2026. The decision forms part of a significant restructuring aimed at ensuring the organisation's funds are directed towards its core charitable mission. The closures will be implemented in stages over the next 18 months.
The charity's chief executive, Mark Hodgkinson, explained the difficult decision, stating that despite the best efforts of staff, the retail portfolio as a whole is now loss-making. "A number make strong profits but there are loss-making shops too," he said. Hodgkinson emphasised that the challenges are not unique to Scope, citing a sector-wide shift towards online shopping combined with soaring operational costs.
Mounting Pressures on the High Street
The charity pointed to a perfect storm of financial pressures forcing its hand. These include rising commercial rents, significantly higher energy bills, increased staff costs, and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis which is squeezing the disposable income of its customers.
The closure programme is expected to reduce the charity's running costs by approximately £4 million during the 2025-26 financial year. This saving will be reinvested into Scope's work campaigning for disability equality, providing direct support services, and public education.
Among the branches affected is the shop in Erdington, Birmingham. This location joins a long list of towns and cities where Scope will be withdrawing from the high street.
Full List of Scope Shop Closures
The charity has already shut a substantial number of stores this year. The complete list of locations where shops have ceased trading includes:
- Stourbridge, Folkestone, Gillingham Twydall Green, Stamford Hill, Beverley
- Fleet, Huntingdon, Newmarket, Bishop’s Stortford, Alton
- Halstead, Hinkley, Camborne, Kendal, Gosport
- Wednesbury, Rochdale, Nuneaton, Gillingham High Street (Kent), Beckenham
- Portsmouth, Taunton, Bromley, Bridgwater, Blyth
- Hove George Street, Burton, Erdington, West Hampstead, Exmouth
- Bury, Newport, Southampton (Portswood Road), Atherstone, Welling
- Amersham, Barking, Bangor, Birkenhead, Bishop Auckland
- Castleford, Devizes, Dewsbury, Eastbourne, Haywards Heath
- Lewisham, New Milton, Orpington, Parkstone, Scunthorpe
- Shirley (Southampton), Skipton, Workington, Bexhill, Hertford
- Mitcham, Petersfield, Scarborough, Worthing
Founded in 1952 by parents and social workers, Scope is a well-established national disability organisation. Its core activities focus on challenging negative attitudes towards disability and creating a fairer society for disabled people.
This large-scale retreat from the high street underscores the profound and ongoing challenges facing the physical retail sector, impacting even well-supported charitable enterprises.
