A pop-up thrift shop organised by the Eden Leisure Group on Saturday raised almost €5,000 for charity. The sum was split between three NGOs, Inspire Malta, Żibel and MSPCA.

The group collected 300kg of clothing through its own collection drives, while Inspire delivered two truck-loads of items, leaving with only half a truck by the end of the day.

With items priced from just €2, patrons queued up at the Cettina De Cesare Hall at the InterContinental Malta before doors opened at 10am, ready to pick up the best bargains. There were many designer items, which were still in excellent condition.

Director of operations Kate de Cesare said: “Every day we see so much depressing news about the environment but this event has given hope of a sustainable future!  Awareness is building and it is becoming trendy to buy sustainably, giving an extended life to pre-owned items.  Tonnes of clothing was saved from the landfill, items which needed many precious resources to be made.  Our thanks goes to all the volunteers who took part.  We’re so happy to have been able to contribute to our community and environment with this event and we hope that it inspires other individuals and businesses to become more sustainable.  Our actions count.”

As part of its ESG initiatives, the Eden Leisure Group will be hosting another pop-up thrift shop in December.