A dedicated volunteer officially opened Birmingham St Mary’s latest charity shop this month (Thursday 15 March), in the heart of Sheldon.
Sarah Gaynor – who has been volunteering for five years at the local hospice – cut the ribbon to the new store, which will be the charity’s 16th shop across Birmingham.
The big-hearted volunteer welcomed shoppers from across the community, who enjoyed fizz and cupcakes whilst browsing bargains at the launch event.
Sarah was the longest-serving volunteer at the hospice’s previous Sheldon store at Poolway. Due to the site being redeveloped, the charity decided to relocate the shop to the Coventry Road – and invited Sarah to cut the ribbon to thank her for her incredible commitment.
Sarah said: “I love volunteering – it’s great to be able to give something back and help others. There’s a fantastic community spirit here in Sheldon and we have lots of lovely shoppers who will often pop in and have a chat with the team. I look forward to welcoming them to our brilliant new store and helping them to pick out a bargain.”
Birmingham St Mary’s chief executive, Tina Swani, was also in attendance at the launch event. She said: “It’s fantastic to welcome customers – both old and new – to our Sheldon shop today. Our charity shops are at the heart of the communities where we provide our care, so it’s brilliant to see shoppers here today who are already supporting local people living with life-limiting illness.
“I’d also like to thank Sarah for her dedication to our hospice. Our volunteers are vital in ensuring we can provide such a wide range of services – and I know Sarah has provided a brilliant amount of retail support in Sheldon over the past five years.”
All funds raised from the shop will go towards Birmingham St Mary’s, which provides care and support at the hospice, in people’s own homes or in community settings.
The shop is based at 2176 Coventry Road, Sheldon, Birmingham, B26 3JE. It will be open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm and Sundays from 10am to 4pm.
To find out more about our shops, take a look here.