Re_Store Shop Ownership
In February 2026, Oban & District Development Trust took ownership of 113 George Street- the shop premises which Re_Store operates. This has helped secure Re_Store’s future, whilst importantly retaining money locally.
Our First Asset!
What is Re_Store?
Re_Store is a second-hand shop, community hub, and events space in the town centre. It opened in March 2024 and is one of our tenants at 113 George Street.
Re_Store is more than a charity shop. Alongside second-hand shopping, it's home to the Rescued Food Project, runs hands-on repair workshops, and hosts and signposts community events - all under one roof.
As well as being a community shop, Re_Store:
Runs repair workshops — helping people fix items rather than throw them away
Encourages reuse and repair instead of throwaway shopping
Supports local businesses and charities through various initiatives
Re_Store is run by Hope Kitchen, part of the Connecting Communities Collective (CCC) — a partnership of four local charities working together on issues like poverty, isolation, and wellbeing. [Read more about the CCC ]
How Re_Store became a community-owned building
Hope Kitchen took on the tenancy of 113 George Street in late 2023 to run Re_Store .
There was a shared wish - between Hope Kitchen, the CCC, and the wider community - to keep rent money local and give Re_Store a long-term home. That meant working towards community ownership of the building.
Hope Kitchen and the CCC weren't eligible to apply for Scottish Land Fund grants, so the Oban & District Development Trust (ODDT) was set up to apply for that funding and take ownership of 113 George Street on the community's behalf.
In February 2026, thanks to a grant from the Scottish Land Fund, ODDT bought the building.
What ownership means for Re_Store
Owning 113 George Street means we can offer Re_Store a permanent home in the town centre. It means:
Re_Store is protected from the private rented sector, with a secure, long-term lease
The value Re_Store creates — economic, social, and environmental — stays in the community
ODDT has a solid foundation to support Re_Store, and take on similar projects, over time
Since March 2024, Re_Store and the Rescued Food Project have saved roughly 15 tonnes of clothing and 45 tonnes of food from landfill. More than 1,500 people have come along to a workshop or event, supported by volunteers who've given over 13,000 hours of their time.
There are lots of ways to enjoy Re_Store and support vital local charities:
Shop with them - browse a changing range of second-hand items, all helping keep good things in use for longer
Visit the Rescued Food Project - surplus food saved from landfill, available to the community for a £2 donation per bag
Go to a workshop - they run sewing and repair sessions, teaching practical skills to fix and mend items instead of throwing them away
Find them at: 113 George Street, Oban, PA34 5NT Open: Monday–Saturday, 10am–4pm Donations welcome up to 2pm each day
[Get in touch →] hello@obancollective.org
Buying 113 George Street was only possible because of community backing. Become a member of ODDT - it's free, and it means a stronger voice for projects like this one.
[Become a member →]
[Visit Re_Store →]
Support this work
Re_Store is run by Hope Kitchen, on behalf of, and with support from, the Connecting Communities Collective (CCC) - a partnership of local charities working together through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
CCC partners include Hope Kitchen, ALIenergy, Lorn and Oban Healthy Options, and Oban Youth Café.
ODDT, by contrast, is a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) with charitable objects. Unlike a partnership run through an MoU, CLG status gives ODDT a stable legal and governance structure - well suited to owning assets and managing the operational and financial responsibilities that come with them.
Owning 113 George Street means ODDT adds value to the CCC's existing work, as their landlord. We work in partnership, not competition - supporting each other to achieve a shared aim: making Oban and the surrounding area a more resilient, prosperous place.
Re_Store's success is also part of a bigger picture. ODDT, the CCC, and several other local organisations (including Atlantis Leisure and Adventure Oban) are now developing a broader, longer-term partnership called the Oban Collective. It's still taking shape, but the aim is to build an ongoing framework for collaboration across Oban - sharing knowledge, resources, and ambition, so that projects like Re_Store are just the beginning.
[Read more about the Oban Collective →]
Our relationship with The Connecting Communities Collective
