A local’s guide to the best charity shops in North London in the North Finchley area – great shops for second hand clothes, shoes, books, homeware and more!
I’ve always felt like the best charity shops in London were located all around Bethnal Green, but that was before moving to North Finchley.
Not too far from my house, there’s the High Road, and there are concentrated all the best charity shops in North Finchley.
Looking for secondhand clothes? Check.
Used books? Check again.
Men’s, kids’, women’s secondhand jewelry and accessories, homeware, and home decor? All check.
The only thing I’ve never seen in charity shops in London, probably, are scented candles (sad).
If you’re looking for the best things to buy in London, you’ve got in me an advocate for charity shopping.
From furniture charity shops to secondhand designer clothes in Chelsea and Notting Hill, I love visiting charity shops.
And North Finchley has definitely some of the best ones in London, and probably of the UK, with a fair mix of secondhand designer clothes and almost brand new books at a super cheap price.
Charity Shops in North London: 9 Best North Finchley Shops
All of the charity shops in North Finchley I’ll mention here today are located on the High Road, the main road that goes from North Finchley Bus Station to Central London.
I’m very lucky to have many amazing charity shops near me.
Even when I was living in Bethnal Green, going charity shopping was one of my favorite things to do alone in London, when I was not off at Beigel Shop Brick Lane eating some of the most colorful bagels in town.
If you’ve just moved to the city, you don’t know your way around the cheapest charity shops in London yet, and that’s where this guide will come in handy.
I’ve left aside furniture charity shops, even though there is one at the beginning of the High Road, to focus exclusively on secondhand clothes and used books that you can find at any budget in North Finchley.
Unfortunately, if you were looking for Oxfam shops, there’s no Oxfam shop on the High Road, but we have some of the most famous charities all around us.
These include Mind, the British Heart Foundation, the Cancer Research, All Aboard, the RSPCA, and even two local charity shops that you won’t find anywhere outside North Finchley.
So, let’s get on with the London charity shopping adventure!
Best Charity Shops in London: British Heart Foundation
The British Heart Foundation is one of the best charity shops in North London, and I think it’s safe to say it’s one of the best charity shops in London as well.
I usually visit the British Heart Foundation shops when I’m looking for almost brand-new clothes, and at the North Finchley branch, a lot of the clothes have never been worn at all.
That’s not the place you’ll look for secondhand designer clothes in London, however, you can find a good handful of high-street brands at an utterly cheap price.
On offer as well, this charity shop has lots of books, as well as jewelry, accessories, and a bit of homeware too.
As in any London charity shop, you never know what you’re going to find, so might as well turn up your sleeves and dig in to find your next secondhand gem!
If you’re looking for charity shops open on Sunday, the British Heart Foundation’s only closing day is on Mondays, so you’ve got all the time in the world after a good week of being productive at work to chillax while charity shopping.
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Best Charity Shops in North London: Cancer Research
The Cancer Research is located higher up on the High Road in North Finchley when walking from the North Finchley Bus Station.
With a selection of clothes from kids to men and women, you’ve got a lot of options for the whole family there.
Most of the clothes I have found for women at the Cancer Research were either from trendy brands like Bershka, Pull & Bear, or H&M, or, at times, secondhand designer clothes, although that is not the first charity shop in North Finchley I’d visit for that.
There are a few good books at the Cancer Research charity shop too, and I’ve bought one a few weeks ago for only £1.
The collection of homeware is sheer in comparison to the number of secondhand clothes the North Finchley charity shop has in stock, but it is there if you ever need something like a vintage frame.
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Best Charity Shops in London: Age UK
At Age UK, I always seem to find my next favorite secondhand clothes.
I have bought countless dresses and tops from this shop, that’s my favorite due to its ultra-cheap prices and amazing offer.
I don’t know how Age UK does it, but in the North Finchley branch, they always manage to have incredible collections on offer.
The secondhand clothes and books are so cheap that sometimes, it’s definitely hard to stop me from getting new dresses that I might, or might not need.
But that’s also the thing with visiting the best charity shops in London.
I mean, you know you’re going to splurge, so why not spend a little bit less, and get two or three preloved pieces of clothing for the price of a brand new one on the high street?
This North Finchley charity shop has clothes organized by color, and a fair few interesting books on their shelves perfect if you’re looking for that book to help you relax at the end of the day while burning an autumn Yankee Candle next to you.
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Best Charity Shops in North London: Mind
Mind is one of my favorite brand names when it comes to the best charity shops in North London, and the whole of London, to be fair.
I feel sometimes ill-at-ease in charity shops where every single item is well organized, making the charity shop look like an actual high-street store.
Mind definitely has kept this vibe of charity shopping, and whether you visit their charity shop in Camden or North Finchley, the atmosphere is the same.
In this shop, you’ll find endless women’s and men’s clothes, as well as some selections for kids and a few bits and bobs for the house.
Mainly, if you’re looking for women’s secondhand clothes, Mind is definitely one of the best charity shops in North London.
Charity shopping is definitely one of the best things to do alone in London because it takes off your mind from the stress of life, and Mind definitely helps with that.
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Best Charity Shops in London: All Aboard
I remember the first time I ever paid a visit to All Aboard and spent something like £50.
All Aboard has really nice charity shops in North London and a bit all around the city, and in the North Finchley branch, if you come at the right time, you can find whole racks discounted at only £3.
All the more reason to buy and save money for travel, for instance.
All Aboard has full selections of secondhand clothes for men, women, and kids – but as usual, it’s mostly women who will find the most clothes.
The brands I have spotted and bought from this North Finchley charity were Pretty Little Thing, MissGuided, Mango, H&M, and Bershka.
It is true that North Finchley is considered one of the rich areas in London.
As a result, if you’re looking for the best charity shops in North London, North Finchley should be on your bucket list (as well as the charity shops in Muswell Hill and Hampstead).
By the way, since we’re actually not that far from the Muswell Hill area when in North Finchley, make sure you pop by those shops and the area’s cute hidden gems when visiting North London!
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Best Charity Shops in North London: RSPCA
At the RSPCA in North Finchley, you’ll find crazy amounts of secondhand clothes for women, men, and kids.
In addition, the range of books is pretty good too, perfect if you are around or don’t have the time to visit other charity bookshops in London further down around Camden Town and Tottenham Court Road.
The RSPCA in North Finchley is open 7 days a week, so you can always find some time to shop for your next faves.
I have found quite a fair few vintage bits there – one of my favorite things to buy from charity shops in London is all the velvet clothes.
I’ve got this obsession with velvety clothes, and I have found for only £3.75 each two brightly colored, oversize velvet buttoned shirts in spick-and-span condition.
If you’re looking for secondhand jewelry, there are also a few bits and bobs in this North Finchley charity, as well as some handbags and shoes, mainly for women.
That’s not one of the charity shops in North London where you’ll find lots of homeware, but there is the occasional frame and mug.
As I always say: you never know what you’re going to find!
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Best Charity Shops in London: The Bothy
The Bothy is, like The Green Room I’ll mention below, one of the independent charity shops in North London located on the High Road in North Finchley.
It’s one of the most underrated charity shops ever, with a carefully curated selection of higher-end clothes for men and women.
It’s really different from your usual charity shop, and if you’ve been charity shopping in London for long enough, you’ll know what I mean.
Actually, you’ll see it as soon as you see the window shop, which tells you straight away that hidden treasures are to be found at The Bothy.
You will find some really beautiful homeware at The Bothy as well, and it overall seems like it is a more posh version of a charity shop.
So, if what you’re after are designer secondhand clothes, you should definitely pay a visit to The Bothy.
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Best Charity Shops in North London: North London Hospice
The North London Hospice is one of the most eclectic charity shops in North London around North Finchley.
Of course, you will find there the same selection of secondhand books, preloved clothes, and homeware.
But there’s something about the North London Hospice that makes me think that I will find something new to love every time I visit.
It is sometimes in the most improbable charity shops in London that I find my best gems, and I seem to remember finding an antique ring embossed with a Roman face there for only £1.
Despite the area, the North London Hospice in North Finchley has very affordable prices, so if you’re looking for the cheapest charity shops in London, you’d do well to travel up North.
Read: The Best Vintage Shops in London
Best Charity Shops in London: The Green Room London
The Green Room is probably one of the most underrated charity shops in North London since it’s a very local shop particularly found in North Finchley.
At The Green Room, this little independent charity shop, you’ll find a good amount of homeware and accessories.
Given that it is an independent charity shop (as in, not a chain charity like Oxfam shops or British Heart Foundation), there’s really no saying if there will be secondhand clothes at The Green Room at some point.
Still, the selection of frames is beyond anything you might have ever seen in other charity shops in North London.
However, the selection of home decor and beautiful secondhand jewelry will remind you more of an antique shop than it will of a charity shop in London.
The Green Room is very different, and, located in the Grand Arcade, it sometimes feels like it’s been forgotten even by locals.
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Charity Shops in North London: 9 Best North Finchley Shops
There you have them, all the best charity shops in North London around North Finchley.
I said it once, and I’ll say it again: I feel very lucky to have all those good, cheap charity shops near me.
I seem to only move to places where I know there will be lots of charity shops around, and I feel that’s smartest in an expensive city like London where you need to save money for rent and travel.
There are lots of amazing free things to do in London, that’s true, and you can enjoy some of the best free views when the weather is nice without paying anything at all.
But sometimes, when you need that extra study motivation, or when you’ve just moved to London and you’re still settling in, it can feel good to get one or two secondhand bits.
It doesn’t break the bank, it doesn’t hurt anyone, and it will just make you feel that extra bit happier for the day, and every time you wear your new clothes!