Artist Sophie Tea's surprise visit to a Sobell House Hospice charity shop in Bicester has gone viral, boosting sales by more than £500 above average daily takings and drawing over two million views for the video capturing the event.
The English contemporary artist, who has amassed over 1.3 million followers across her social media channels, popped into the Bicester Superstore to transform a second-hand item into custom artwork. Her popular online series involves travelling around the country buying second-hand items and painting them to raise money for good causes.
How the visit came about
After hospice staff noticed the star was travelling nearby, they reached out with a message to invite her into the store. Sophie picked out a wooden rocking horse for £40 and decorated it live on the shop floor for local shoppers to see. The finished piece was then raffled off to fans online, attracting a crowd of eager local followers into the shop.
The viral video capturing her visit has since racked up more than two million views and hundreds of thousands of likes. The extra footfall on the day gave the shop a massive boost, with sales rising more than £500 above average daily takings.
Reaction from the hospice
Charlee White, speaking for Sobell House Hospice, said: “Lots of our shop team and volunteers were already big fans of Sophie and had been following and interacting with her charity shop series. As soon as they realised she was heading our way, they sprung into action and managed to persuade her to pay us a visit.”
She continued: “It created such a buzz in the shop. We had Sophie’s followers coming along to meet her and enter the raffle, and the video itself has now been viewed more than two million times and received 254,000 likes. It’s fantastic exposure for the shop and for Sobell House Hospice.”
Impact on hospice care
Charlee added: “Our charity shops play a really important role in raising the funds we need to provide hospice care across Oxfordshire. Last year, 1,439 patients were under our care at any one time, so every purchase, donation and fundraising boost helps us continue supporting local people and their families.”
She concluded: “We’re always looking for new ways to bring people into our shops and raise awareness of what their support makes possible, so having more than two million people see our Bicester store through Sophie’s video is very special.”
The Bicester Superstore opens seven days a week and sells clothes, books, furniture, and electrical items. To find out more about the store and the charity's work, visit www.sobellhouse.org/find-a-shop.
