NESCol students open pop-up charity shop on George Street

April 20, 2026

Students from North East Scotland College (NESCol) are taking over a city centre charity shop this week to raise funds for Middlefield Community Project.

The pop-up shop on George Street will be open for one week from Monday 20 April, staffed by Learning Opportunities students from the Qualification for Work course who are studying SVQ Retail.

All money raised will be donated to Middlefield Community Project, a local charity that provides a wide range of services to residents in the Middlefield, Cummings Park, Marchburn and Heathryfold areas.

The Project supports many of the learners on the course, and it was one of the students who suggested the collaboration.

David Smith, Project Coordinator, Middlefield Community Project, said: “Everyone at Middlefield Community Project is delighted to be working in partnership with NESCol for the charity shop takeover.

“This being driven by the young learners, one of whom uses Middlefield Project regularly, is really humbling and the staff and community are very excited.

“We will be running shuttle buses down and back from Middlefield to the shop throughout the week and have been helping gather donations as well. We can’t thank NESCol and the learners enough – we are really looking forward to this week.

“All funds raised will go back into the community to help us deliver vital community services that support over 600 people a week.”

NESCol’s Qualification for Work course is designed for students with additional learning needs, helping them gain a vocational qualification while building on the core skills developed at school.

During the pop-up shop, students will be assessed via observation for their SVQ retail unit as they serve customers.

Alison Robertson, Learning Opportunities Lecturer, NESCol, said: “Students usually gain experience in RecyCol, our charity shop at Aberdeen City Campus.

“However, this year’s cohort is particularly large, which prompted us to bring back the George Street charity shop to give the learners a more meaningful retail experience.

“This was something we ran successfully until 2020, and it’s a fantastic opportunity for students to work with real customers in a setting outside of the College.

“We’re incredibly grateful to Middlefield Community Project, who have been hugely supportive of the takeover. As well as assisting with getting the shop up and running, they’ve visited the class in College, and even invited us to Middlefield before the summer break.

“We hope to raise as much money as possible for the charity and encourage everyone to pop along to the shop this week.”

Visit the shop

The George Street pop-up charity shop can be found at 346 George Street, Aberdeen from Monday 20th April to Friday 24th April. It will sell second-hand goods including clothes, shoes, toys, household items, and books.

Opening times are: