Tributes to All Aboard founder Stella Lucas, who has died at 107
Praise for vision and wisdom of woman behind the chain of 21 secondhand shops that support more than 70 charities
The founder of an organisation that has raised in excess of £3m selling clothes and bric-a-brac for Jewish communal charities has died aged 107.
Stella Lucas established All Aboard in 1987. In 2022, through its chain of 21 shops across London and Manchester, it supported more than 70 UK-registered charities including Chai Cancer Care, Gesher School, Maccabi GB, Jewish Women’s Aid, Nightingale Hammerson, Seed and the Anne Frank Trust.
All Aboard provides grants for projects in the areas of community, education, medical equipment, older people, welfare and youth. The stores, at locations including Barnet, Burnt Oak, Cricklewood, Golders Green, Mill Hill, Prestwich, Salford and Stamfored Hill, have consistently made it on to Time Out’s charity shop top 10 list.
The organisation has provided hospital equipment, outings and respite care for terminally ill children, research projects, and learning programmes, as well as contributing towards residential care for the elderly.
Founder Stella Lucas was born 30th July 1916 and grew up in Hackney. She started volunteering at the age of 14, helping elderly people across Stepney and supporting the Meals on Wheels scheme.
Together with her husband Victor (they married in 1938), the couple continued volunteering their time with community projects in the areas in which they were both passionate – cricket, community building and Jewish philanthropy.
Whilst Victor was president of the United Synagogue, Stella volunteered at the Board of Deputies central enquiry desk in the mid-1980’s. It was here that she became aware of the hundreds of requests from members of the community wanting to donate unwanted clothes.
This was Stella’s ‘Eureka!’ moment, when she came up with the idea to recreate the concept of the Oxfam charity shop with the profits being ploughed back into local community projects.
Together with three friends, volunteers Monique Landau, Trudie Reiss and Jeffrey Pinnick, Lucas launched the first ‘All Aboard for Charity’ shop aged 70. The premises were located where the O2 centre is now on Finchley Road, north London, initially raising funds for charities including Jewish Care, AJEX and Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Loaned money for the first rent (which she repaid in just two weeks), Lucas called on her wide network and pulled together huge amounts of donated goods to sell in the shop.
The charity’s website says the name ‘All Aboard’: “itself reinforces Stella’s belief in community spirit. Not only is it a rallying call to acts of charity, but also has a reference to one of its earliest supporters. The Board of Deputies of British Jews agreed to stand surety at the bank if she needed a loan and in a sign of solidarity and the importance of cross-communal partnership, are subtly credited in the ‘All Aboard’ moniker.”
By 2010, the organisation has grown to 16 shops and All Aboard’s HQ moved to Edgware High Street in north London.
The building was named Stella Lucas House in her honour to mark her 94th birthday.
In 2016, All Aboard and Stella Lucas House moved to a new warehouse, distribution centre and central office in north Watford.
A spokesperson from All Aboard said: “Founding All Aboard Charity Shops aged 70 in 1987, Stella Lucas MBE was a true Eshet Chayil (woman of valour). Due to her foresight and tenacity, All Aboard has been able to support hundreds of Jewish and non-Jewish charities to date, with grants of over £3m. We are ever thankful for her dedication and energy – she will never be forgotten and her memory will always be a blessing to everyone at All Aboard.”
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said: “Stella Lucas MBE was a remarkable community leader whose passion for public service was an inspiration to all who knew her. Where other people might have seen challenges, she saw opportunities to make a positive impact on the lives of others. May her memory be a blessing for us all.”
Norwood chief executive Naomi Dickson said: “On behalf of everyone at Norwood, I was so saddened to hear about the passing of Stella Lucas. Stella was an exceptional, personable lady who brought people together with the sheer force of her warmth, commitment and enthusiasm, and was inclusive of all. Across a lifetime of giving, Stella was a true pioneer for volunteering, uniting disparate organisations from across the spectrum of the community behind her vision of working together for the greater good. Our community, our communal organisations and the people we collectively support owe her a huge debt of gratitude for her trailblazing work, and we will maintain her legacy by continuing to uphold the values and initiatives she championed. May her memory be for a blessing.”
National Chair of AJEX JMA Dan Fox said: “Another of the “greatest generation” has left us. Out of the destruction of World War II, women like Stella helped rebuild our community and our country. Their military service had kept us free. Their public service ensured that their gains and sacrifice would not be lost. Stella will be remembered for the network of support she established through All Aboard. There are few British Jews not touched by her work. This very much includes the veterans of AJEX. We salute her life and remember her commitment.”
Chairman of Chai Cancer Care, Louise Hager said: “Stella Lucas MBE z’l was an inspirational and remarkable woman who will always be remembered with tremendous gratitude for her services to the Jewish community. For the last 27 years Chai has benefitted from All Aboard’s support which has made a tangible difference to our clients lives. May her memory be a blessing.”
Leading Jewish community care home Nightingale Hammerson told Jewish News it is “sincerely grateful for All Aboard’s support over the last 24 years. We wish to send our sincere condolences to this wonderful charity and to the friends and family of Stella Lucas, who has died at the age of 107. All Aboard’s donations have made a meaningful difference to the lives of our Residents and staff; enabling us to deliver unique and important therapy and engagement programmes each year.”
The Board and staff of Maccabi GB told Jewish News they are “deeply saddened on the passing of Stella Lucas MBE z’l. Stella was such a pioneer and we are all indebted to her vision and wisdom in the founding of All Aboard Shops, which has shaped into the wonderful charity it is today. Her commitment to both the Jewish community and other charitable causes was unwavering and her dedication served as an inspiration to all of us.”
Dayan Binstock, Senior Rabbi of St John’s Wood United Synagogue, conducted Stella’s funeral. He told Jewish News: “Stella will be sorely missed by the St John’s Wood community and United Synagogue family. She passed away peacefully on Shabbat at age of 107. The last 3 weeks when she wasn’t in shul was the longest period of time outside of Covid when she hadn’t attended shul! When asked for her secret she would say: ‘Keep busy! There’s always something that needs doing and you could be the one to do it!’ She threw herself into all areas of community life being the first to sign on for educational and social events. At the age of 101 she resigned from All Aboard in protest at their decision to open some of their shops on Shabbat. May her memory be for a blessing.”
Sarah Sultman, co-founder, Gesher school said: “Stella Lucas was a remarkable woman who lived to a remarkable age. Her vision and energy has enabled so many charities like Gesher to benefit from the organisation that she established, and we are truly grateful to have had that support every step of the way since our schools inception. All Aboard shops are a stalwart of our high street and we hope her that legacy is that this wonderful organisation continues to go from strength to strength. We wish her family long life BDE.”
Lucas was awarded an MBE in 2003 for services to the Jewish community. She stood down as a trustee and director of All Aboard Charity Shops in 2017.
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