An Edinburgh man who helped to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for homeless and badly housed people in Scotland has been named the UK’s top charity shop worker.

Pete Jew, 58, who manages Shelter Scotland’s Stockbridge shop – which is famous for its January launch events - won the accolade after beating stiff competition from some of the UK’s 10,000 charity shops.

Pete, who has worked for Shelter Scotland for over 21 years, helps the charity to raise almost £7,000 per week – equal to around £364,000 per year.

Pete was recognised for his achievements at a prestigious ceremony organised by the UK-wide Charity Retail Association.

Pete Jew, manager of Shelter Scotland’s Stockbridge shop, said: “I feel very passionately about helping others, so if my work over the last two decades has helped even one person to escape homelessness or improved their housing situation, it’s been totally worth it.

“It’s an honour to work for an organisation which helps over half a million people in Scotland every year. It’s the cherry on top to be recognised with this award.

“I won’t let it go to my head and will be back to work tomorrow trying to raise as much money as possible, sorting weird and wonderful donations from our loyal supporters and trying to raise as much money as possible while having fun at the same time.”

Since joining Shelter Scotland, Pete has run 14 successful post-Christmas events, selling designer goods such as Dior, Burberry, Chanel and Armani. The much-anticipated annual events see crowds queuing outside in freezing temperatures for hours before opening – with Pete handing our hot drinks and snacks.

This year the team achieved sales worth £1,500 within the first 30 minutes of trading – that’s £50 a minute and enough to help over 150 families and individuals through the charity’s free national helpline.

Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland, said: “Pete is a shining star in our retail team and goes to great lengths to ensure the shop thrives.

“We can’t thank him enough for his two decades of service at Shelter Scotland. He, along with our loyal supporters, customers and donors, has helped to raise vital funds for our work.

“Every penny our shops raise goes towards our fight to end homelessness and ensure that everyone has a safe, secure and affordable place to call home.”

Graeme Brown added: “Today in Scotland 150,000 households are on waiting lists for a home and over 35,000 people made homelessness applications in the last year alone. It costs just £10 for one of our expert advisors to help a family or individual at risk of losing their home – we can raise that money by selling an unwanted dress or pair of shoes.

“We couldn’t do what we do without people like Pete, nor without the continued support of the public who donate and buy goods from our shops every day. They ensure that we can work towards a future where everyone in Scotland has a safe, secure and affordable place to call home.”