Our Services Services for adults Day services Visit our shop Our Society shop in Derwent Street, Sunderland, is not your average charity shop. Instead of selling second-hand goods on behalf of a charity, the Society shop stocks new products hand-made by the autistic adults who access our day services. They also gain valuable skills and work experience by jointly running the shop with our programme support workers. They open and close, clean and stock-take, ensure health and safety regulations are followed, design the displays, serve customers and manage the till. The shop is open Monday to Friday 9.30am - 3.30pm and sells cards, knitwear, cushions, candleholders, handicrafts, dog bandanas, and much much more. Customers can also put in requests for goods made to order. Its most famous visitor so far is ex-Sunderland and England footballer Jill Scott, whose autograph still has pride of place on the wall. One autistic adult who helps run the shop says: "I go to the retail shop every Thursday. I like to make cards, colour in and clean up." Angela Crosby is senior programme support worker with the North East Autism Society and supervises the shop. She says: "It's all about teaching the adults who access our services skills they may not have had previously, like hand or machine sewing and card-making. Then they can tell customers exactly who made something. They get pride from seeing what they have made put up on display and sold. "As well as that, they do stock checks, manage the displays, serve customers, add up the takings, clean the shop, and do regular fire drills. It's the full experience." Some customers are surprised when they come in expecting to find pre-loved items for sale, Angela adds. "It's all new items, all made by the adults at our day services. "It's definitely not your typical charity shop!" Opening times Monday - Friday 9.30am-3.30pm (term times only) Address 26 Derwent Street Sunderland SR1 3NU See it on a map Manage Cookie Preferences