11 Best Charity Shops in North London (2023)

From the moment I first set foot in the city in 2014, I was attracted by the best charity shops in North London. Learning how to thrift in the UK and finding the best cheap charity shops near me has been a passion of mine since then. Thrift stores are seemingly there at every corner. What are charity shops? They are thrift shops where people make donations of clothes, books, CDs, DVDs, shoes, homeware, furniture… I cannot even begin to imagine how tiring running a charity shop must be. You can find some really high-end brands there, and even the best Italian shoe brands for almost nothing – is it not a dream?

I mean, we all know just how much I love cheap designer outlets in London. I’ve already said and confirmed it, and have even told you all about the best charity shops in Hampstead a while back. In North London, around Hampstead Heath, you have some charity shops where people from the posh area donate amazing designer clothes. And you can buy them on a budget. Today though, I’ll be talking about charity shops in North London around Camden Town, Kentish Town, and Finsbury Park.

The Best Charity Shops in North London: Why?

What I do love doing is finding the biggest charity shops near me, because I know that the local thrift stores UK will always have something for me. To be fair, I think I fell in love with London charity shops when I managed to get the whole collection of Harry Potter books the first time I came to London with my younger sister. That was it for me.

It’s important to donate to charity shops because charity shopping in London is actually more than just about giving back to society. It’s a trend, a fashion, a way of living. In France, charity shopping is something almost shameful. How amazing to arrive in a country where browsing charity shop clearance is a pride, and something many of us tend to!

The Best Charity Shops in North London

It’s time to share with you the best UK thrift shops – since finding the best local charity near me is something I love doing, I thought you’d also like to find my best charity shopping addresses. From Traid to the best Oxfam shops in London, from Cancer Research to the British Heart Foundation, find out what charity shops are accepting donations (all of them, really, except those that are short on staff – call before), which are the cheapest, and which have an online charity shop in London.

You never know what you’re going to find in London charity shops, and lately, I’ve been visiting quite a few good thrift stores in North London. I’ve been staying around Seven Sisters, so I pass by Finsbury Park, Camden Town, and Kentish Town Road pretty often to have a walk. There, I’ve found some amazing high street charity shops and the cheapest charity shops in North London I’ve ever been to.

11 Best Charity Shops in North London (Camden Town, Kentish Town & Finsbury Park)

Charity clothes shops and the biggest stores for furniture and books are a true gift. Thrift shops in England are really scattered everywhere, but I’ve found lots of local charity shops in North London.

Later on, I will post about the best charity stores near me when I’ll pay a closer visit to South, East, and West London. For now, enjoy this amazing list of the best UK thrift shops in the North near Camden Town, Kentish Town, and Finsbury Park. Do let me know your own favorite charity shops in London! A new book collection is always something cool to have, and I’m always on the lookout for the best charity shop clearance (then again, who isn’t?)!

Best Charity Shops in North London: Traid Camden Town

If you’re looking for great charity clothes shops in Camden Town, you’ll be served with Traid. When I’m around Camden, I’ve found it’s the best place for charity shops near me. Traid is one of those high street charity shops that accept donations for clothes, mostly. There, you can really find some vintage and really badass cheap clothes in London.

There are quite a few Traid thrift shops in London, but I think that the local charity shop in Camden is one of the biggest. There’s one in Dalston, that I’ve found when I was visiting the coolest cafes in Stoke Newington nearby. That was is also amazing, but the charity shop in Camden really is cool and filled with great clothes and accessories. Only the cream of the best clothes can be found there. If you’re a fashionista, a student, or anyone on a budget looking to get cool clothes from the best high street charity shops, that’s your destination.

Traid is simply one of the best charity clothes shops there is and they give another meaning to buying cheap clothes in London. Real vintage, real second hand clothes, real high street and high end quality for a really affordable price. It’s also a charity shop open on Sunday in Camden, so you can go take a look at the best street art, eat the best street food in London, and finish with some amazing vintage and second-hand clothes shopping.

Mind in Camden

Camden High Street is filled with the best thrift shops UK and a great charity shop nearby is Mind in Camden. The shop window always makes me dream because it is just packed with some amazing charity books and vintage clothes. It’s one of the cheapest charity shops in London, and it gives back to the community in terms of mental health support.

If you’re looking to get a charity shop online clothes moment, that’s not it. That’s more of your local charity where you actually spend time browsing the racks for the best, cheap books and clothes.

As far as cheap charity shops go, Mind in Camden is a pretty cool one. The staff is very welcoming, and I just love losing myself in this second hand charity shop. Packed, cluttered, crowded with vintage and second hand stuff – you never know what you’re going to find in this local charity shop.

If you’re looking for some vintage cuts and unexpected fashion finds, that’s the place to be. You can also snatch a new used book for almost nothing to add to your collection there, and well, you know how much I love finding cheap second-hand books in London. This one is closed on Sundays, but is open all the other days of the week from 10 am till 6 pm. Plus, there are lots of cool halal restaurants in Camden Town, so you’re really close if you’re looking for a bite before or after thrift shopping.

Charity Shops in North London: Age UK Kentish Town

Age UK is a local charity shop that focuses on helping the elderly. “Growing old doesn’t come with a manual” is one of their slogans, and they are acting to accompany people, give help, and support older people who would otherwise be alone.

That’s one of the coolest UK charity shops in North London you can find, with a real message. If you like a big charity shop, that’s a pretty good one and one of the best high street charity shops at that.

I love going there to find some really cool cheap clothes in London. The charity clothes shops of Age UK accept donations, and they make you understand that running a charity shop can really change the world. One of the best UK charity shops in Camden, open from 10 am to 3 pm every day except on Sundays.

Charity Shops in North London: Mind Kentish Town

Mind on Kentish Town Road is one of the best places where to go thrift shopping in London near Camden. It’s a medium-sized charity shop, and one of the cheapest thrift shops in London. Like the one above located in Camden, it’s a second hand charity shop where you can purchase clothes, books, homeware, and quite anything that generous souls like to donate to charity shops.

If you’re looking for some cool charity shop clearance fashion, you’ll love this store, especially if you’re into vintage and fashionable items. There’s something for everyone, men and women alike.

It’s also one of those charity shops where you can grab some cute new gifts and thoughtful attention like cards or calendars signed by Mind. If you want to purchase second hand clothes or books from a UK online charity shop, Mind has an eBay shop with lots of cool used products.

Charity Shops in North London: PDSA Charity Shop

“Turning breaking hearts into beating hearts” – that’s the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA)’s motto. The goal of this charity shop on Kentish Town Road is to care for the pets of people in need. When you get some second hand clothes, jewelry, or books in this thrift store in London, you know the earnings will help provide free vet services to sick and injured animals whose owners can’t afford vet fees. If you love animals, you’ve probably already visited the cool cat cafes in London – well, you’re giving back even more to sosciety when you visit the PDSA charity shops in North London.

When I look for a local charity near me, I don’t always look at what they support, and I think that’s something I should put more focus on. It’s really cool to know the charity shops that take books, to find the cheap charity shops near me, or the charities accepting donations near me. But when you know that you’re making a real difference when buying second hand clothes or used books in London, that’s where you become even more human.

The PDSA thrift store UK located on Kentish Town Road seems like one of the biggest charity shops near Camden Town and Kentish Town. The offer of clearance clothes and second hand books is quite large, and you can find amazing accessories and jewelry for events and everyday fashion outfits.

Charity Shops in North London: Marie Curie Finsbury Park

The Marie Curie is a local charity shop that is medium-sized and offers some really cool clothing items, books, and cheap homewares. Even when I don’t find the biggest charity shops near me, London is so cool and well-structured that there’s always going to be more charity clothes shops nearby.

In Finsbury Park, there are at least four or five various second hand charity shops open for donations and to purchase the cheapest clothes and books. The clothes look very much brand new, and the book selection is spread between fiction and more technical titles in cooking, self-development, and other super interesting areas.

Although the Marie Curie thrift shops are usually smaller than the Oxfam shops UK, they still offer a great selection of frames, books, clothes, and second hand decoration items. The thing is, you don’t need a big charity shop to find the cutest gems, whether you’re on to second hand furniture, fashion, or books. Plus, the Marie Curie charity shop on Seven Sisters Road is right next to a Poundland, and you know how big I am on discount stores and budget shops in London.

What you need is to know how to thrift in the UK, by browsing calmly charity shop gifts, online charity shops, and taking your time in between the racks. UK charity shops always have what you need, if you know where to look (no bad Harry Potter slash Room of Requirement pun intended).

Charity Shops in North London: Second Chance

Second Chance Charity Shop on Blackstock Street is set between many other cute little shops that you just want to leave all your money at. It’s one of the smallest independent charity shops in North London near Finsbury Park where you will find lots of accessories, clothes, and cheap books.

The clothing selection is pretty cool, but it’s one of the UK thrift shops where you’ll rather find books, CDs, DVDs, and all that kind of cultural items. That’s pretty cool though because Second Chance Charity Shop is one of the cheapest charity shops in London.

If you have books or CDs to donate to charity shops, I’d highly suggest giving them to this one, and it seems to specialize in culture rather than clothes. It’s always cool to find cheap charity shops, but when you find some specialized in one thing rather than another, you know you’re in for a treat, and you’re not going to waste any time.

However, if you also want to find some cool clothes, all you need to do is head over to the Maria Curie charity shop nearby and you’ll find that cool fashion selection I’ve talked about above. London charity shops are cool like that – they all complement each other.

Charity Shops in North London: RSPCA Charity Shop

If you’re going to the Second Chance spot, there’s a cool charity shop nearby: RSPCA. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has been around since 1824, and it’s the oldest welfare charity around in the UK. They were also the first to introduce a law to protect animals, and the money raised from the RSPCA charity shops helps ensure great standards of care for animals.

If you’re looking for nearby charities when you’re in Finsbury Park, Holloway Road, or Seven Sisters Road, RSPCA is one of the high street charity shops that offer very cheap clothes, accessories, books, and more of everything cool, second hand and affordable.

To donate to charity shops like this one, all you need to do is check their website or go in store to ask how they proceed. Charities accepting donations vary with the availability of the staff and the stock power of the store, so contact the thrift stores in the UK before you bring anything. Many people leave their donations in front of the charity shops, and they often end up just taken by other people – which is good too, but not the same.

Charity Shops in North London: British Heart Foundation

One of my very favorite UK thrift shops is the British Heart Foundation. It’s one of the very first cheap charity shops I’ve found in London, and I’ve always been fascinated by the amazing selection of books, clothes, accessories, decoration and homeware they have. It makes you want to keep donating to charity shops, when you see what you also get back, even without really looking.

The British Heart Foundation is one of the charity shops that take books, clothes, quite anything that is in good condition and could really help the thrift shop give back to the community. On the online charity shop of the BHF, you can find defibrillators, heart monitors, and all kinds of items that can help when someone has a weak heart or is in cardiac arrest. That’s just the best place for charity shops in Camden, a thrift charity that can act quickly to save someone’s life.

It doesn’t really matter how many charities there are in London, as long as you know that your own charity shopping is making a difference in someone’s life. That’s also why I’m a big shopper in that kind of second hand thrift stores. If you’re looking for amazing decoration, toys, small gifts, shoes, clothes, and books, the British Heart Foundation charity shop on Camden High Street is definitely a go-to.

Charity Shops in North London: Cancer Research UK

The Cancer Research is a charity shop nearby when you’re visiting the British Heart Foundation on Camden High Street. This street is just magical – there are quite a few charity stores, and two famous budget shops in London: Poundland, and a Savers there. All the thrift shops goodness you can find in London.

Cancer Research is one of those local charity shops that offer household goods, clothing, decoration, and many books. If you’re looking for cheap charity shops open on Sunday, this store is even open from 12 pm to 6 pm on Sundays. Charity shops in the UK are not always open on Sundays, so it’s pretty cool to go charity shopping for clothes and books and have a walk at Camden Lock market after.

At this Cancer Research store, you will find lots of accessories and clothes – everything to build cool outfits for one-time events, for instance. I’ve always only found clothes that looked new there, so you also feel good about wearing what you have on. If you like browsing, then that’s definitely a charity shop in London made for me.

Oxfam Camden High Street

If you’re on Camden High Street, this Oxfam is yet another charity shop nearby. I have to admit that I love Oxfam – it might even be one of my favorite London charity shops. Why? Because they’re almost always the biggest charity shops near me, open for donations often, with a great offer of second hand clothes and books. I’ve actually written a full guide to the best Oxfam bookshops in London and other stores where you can get cheap clothes, arts, and homeware.

They’re also some of the very cheap charity stores in the UK, and people really trust Oxfam from what I’ve seen. Their thrift stores are always very well-stocked, from amazingly interesting books to very new clothes. I’ve come across some really cool fashion brands more than once, from Bershka to Mango, and even H&M. Charity shops in the UK always carry some second hand brands that I love buying from regularly, so it’s all good when I can spend less on amazing designs.

This store also has lots of second-hand books in London, which is something I love. I have actually written about the best secondhand book shops in London, and you don’t want to miss their amazing used books selections!

The Oxfam online charity shop is as well-stocked as their big charity shop addresses are. There, you can find the coolest thrift charity books, bags, vintage bags, movies, glassware, and so much more! I always check out the cheap charity shops near me when I’m roaming the London streets, and to be honest, Oxfam is one of the cheapest charity shops, with the best donations.

11 Best Charity Shops in North London (Camden Town, Finsbury Park & Kentish Town)

One last word: donate to charity shops. Not only are you doing a great deed when you donate second hand clothes, books, and accessories, but you can also choose to support the charities that matter most to you. I love visiting all the cool charity shops in North London as much as the next person. I mean, Kentish Town, Camden Town and Finsbury Park do have something really cool to them. Young and lively, they provide the perfect background for cheap shopping in London. Like when you visit some really cool cheap designer outlets in London.

Online charity shops in London are also an amazing timesaver if you don’t want to travel to Oxfam shops, Traid, British Heart Foundation, and other charity bookshops. Still, I think that browsing a cool charity shop nearby will always be the best way to go thrift shopping.

I personally love browsing the messy racks of second-hand books in London and cheap clothes and knowing that I’ll find an item I’ve been looking for forever for just one or two pounds. There’s nothing better than losing yourself in the big charity shops in North London – trust me. Been there, done that.

If you love cheap shopping in London as much as I do, I can only recommend reading those guides to cheap things next:

• Free Japanese gardens and roof gardens in London
• The best places for cheap shopping in London

Until next time!

PS. Did you know you can visit an upside-down house in London?