The new shop will be at Unit 16, Chequers Court Shopping Centre in the town, trading from Monday to Saturday and will be the charity’s sixth Cambridgeshire based store. It will open at 10am on Thursday 2nd September with EACH’s mascot, ECHO the Elephant, on hand to help to cut the ribbon and welcome new customers.
Sarah Throssell, EACH Head of Retail Central Operations, said: “We are thrilled to be opening our doors in Huntingdon and we are very much looking forward to welcoming shoppers into our beautiful new store. ECHO the Elephant will be joining us on the day to bring a fun vibe to the proceedings – we hope to see you all there!
“Our shops are well known for selling high quality goods. We strive for all our shops to be real community hubs, so we hope to see lots of people from Huntingdon and surrounding areas popping in to say hello, and grabbing a bargain! If you’re looking to give something back to your local community we have plenty of volunteer opportunities at hours to suit you – just get in touch to find out more.”
EACH provides care for hundreds of children and young people with life-threatening conditions, and support for their families, across the region. It has three hospices, the nearest to Huntingdon being in Milton, just north of Cambridge, and delivers lots of its specialist service in family homes and at hospitals. Receiving only some 16% of its income from statutory sources, EACH relies on voluntary donations for the majority.
EACH welcomes donations of the following clean and good-quality goods: clothing, bric-a-brac, modern paperbacks, toys, jewellery, DVDs/CDs, household linens, retro and vintage clothes, and small electrical items. These can be dropped off at the new shop both before and after opening. The rear door of the shop can be accessed for donations - adjacent to the RCP carpark on St Germain Street – just look out for the EACH sign!
To put into context the difference just a small donation to a shop can make to the vital work EACH does, here are some examples of what your donation could pay for:
- A top, skirt or pair of trousers worth £5 could pay for art supplies for a session of art therapy
- A tea set worth £11 could help fund an hour of specialist play tailored to a child’s individual needs
- A nice wedding hat or jacket worth £19 could help towards an hour of vital physiotherapy
- An item of good-quality furniture or prom dress worth £24 could help fund an hour with a psychologist to help guide and support families going through, likely, the toughest period of their lives
Anyone interested in more information on volunteering at the new shop can email volunteerservices@each.org.uk