Published: 20 Apr 2023 by Guest blog

Wayne Hemingway, co-founder of HemingwayDesign, has designed award-winning, large-scale affordable housing developments and advocates for sustainable retail, which has led him to a long-standing relationship with Shelter.

Wayne’s journey with Shelter began when HemingwayDesign designed the interiors of Shelter’s boutique stores. In 2019, HemingwayDesign helped to bring about a social shift by advocating for a Shelter boutique store to be an anchor tenant in the heart of the King’s Cross regeneration, sitting comfortably amongst the glamour of the high-end shops in Coals Drop Yard. The fully upcycled store was designed using leftover building materials from the wider King’s Cross regeneration.

Wayne’s latest venture is the Charity Super.Mkt, which he launched together with Maria Chenoweth, CEO of TRAID. A first of its kind, Charity Super.Mkt brings together several charities – including Shelter – under one roof in a second-hand retail department store. After taking London by storm in the Brent Cross shopping centre at the beginning of 2023, the Charity Super.Mkt is now in Reading with plans to travel across the UK.

‘Charity Super.Mkt surpassed all expectations at Brent Cross and now we are going to prove that the concept works nationwide. Next stop is The Oracle, Reading, where we have gathered a revolving cohort of national, local and regional charities who have all been squirrelling away great second-hand pieces,’ says Wayne.

‘The goal is for the store to become like a fair coming to town – we want it to be an exciting experience for shoppers.’

Wayne’s support for Shelter doesn’t end there. He ran the London Marathon in 2008 with his daughter, raising over £12,000, and will be taking on the challenge again in 2023 with his son, Beck.

‘I have run a marathon in each of my decades (except my first, of course!), and I’m excited to be taking on the iconic London Marathon again this year for Shelter.

‘We need more homes to be built to fix the broken housing system, but they need to be the right homes, built in the right places, and built to last by developers. For years, the governments have played into the hands of developers who just want to maximise profits with no sensible long-term strategy. Shelter supports the right to a safe, secure, and affordable home for everyone and this is something I advocate for daily.’

Wayne is joining over 200 runners taking on the 2023 London Marathon for Shelter. You can catch the excitement on Sunday 23 April.