@Charityshopgirl Jen Graham to join Russell Bear for opening of new Forget Me Not’s charity shop in Pudsey

On Saturday 25th April 2026 charity shop social media star Jen Graham, better known as @charityshopgirl and Forget Me Not’s own Russell Bear in Pudsey for the opening of their first charity shop in the area.

The pair will also be joined by Leeds Rhino mascot Ronnie the Rhino to support the launch. Forget Me Not children’s hospice supports local babies and children with life-shortening conditions and their families across West Yorkshire. In the last year, Forget Me Not has supported 303 children, mums, dads, siblings and grandparents from Bradford, either at Russell House in Huddersfield or in the families’ own homes.

The shop in Pudsey, based in the former Halifax bank building on Market Place, will offer a wide selection of high-quality, pre-loved items including clothing, books, toys, homeware, and more. The first 20 customers at the open day on Saturday will receive goody bags.

And charity shopping expert @charityshopgirl Jen Graham will be on hand to share some of the rummaging and styling tips that have earned her over 200,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok, led to a styling feature on ITV’s This Morning and upcoming appearances in a new BBC TV series.

Jen, who features in the new BBC series Shift the Thrift, began sharing her charity shop finds on social media five years ago, encouraged by her teenage daughter. Her styling tips, explaining how she would wear the items she found, where she got them from and how much they cost have been devoured by followers joining the growing trend for pre-loved clothes and sustainable fashion choices.

Jen said,

“I’m so honoured and excited to join Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice for the opening of their new charity shop in Pudsey. Charity shops are my beating heart, I absolutely love encouraging others to embrace them, not only because they’re an incredible way to give pre‑loved clothes a second life but more importantly, because they support such amazing causes, in this case the incredible work that Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice do!”

Forget Me Not’s head of retail Andrea Titherington-Kay said,

“Anybody who loves their fashion will be hearing lots about fast fashion and the need for us to be more sustainable in our fashion choices. More and more people are looking to charity shops like ours as great places to do that and find unique and special items at a budget friendly price. So it’s a thrill for us to welcome Jen, a true expert in finding the style in charity shops, for the opening of our first ever shop in Leeds.

Forget Me Not has been helping families in Leeds for many years but we haven’t had a physical presence here up until now. We hope at our grand opening we make a bit of a splash with Ronnie the Rhino and raise a bit of awareness about our work and volunteering opportunities in our new shop. Our shops are an absolutely crucial part of our income- it will cost us £7million to provide our vital support for local children and families this year, over 80% of which we have to raise through fundraising, retail and other income generating activities.

Whether you’re donating your unwanted stuff or you’re shopping for a bargain or volunteering your time to help in the shop, you’ll be part of the amazing community that helps us support babies and children with life shortening conditions and their families.”