Anita Dobson inaugurates new charity store

Actress Anita Dobson commended a hospice charity for its “incredible work” during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new retail outlet in Maidenhead. The Thames Hospice Homestore, situated on Boyn Valley Road, was officially inaugurated on Wednesday by the former EastEnders star. This establishment had previously operated for five years on Reform Road before relocating to a more expansive premises. Ms Dobson remarked: “It’s a wonderful charity, the work they do for people that are sick is just incredible, without them them I think the community would be suffering even more than it already is.” Julie Rowley, the Director of Retail at Thames Hospice, conveyed that she was “absolutely overwhelmed by the support that we’ve had from the community.” The newly opened store is nearly twice the size of its previous location, offering a diverse array of merchandise, ample parking, and a small coffee shop. Ms Dobson observed that “lots of people came with smiley faces” to the store’s opening. She further stated: “When they got inside and saw the stuff that’s on offer they were smiling even more.” Ms Rowley declared: “I’m really thrilled and excited that we’ve moved.” She underscored the charity’s complete dependence on community backing, adding: “It isn’t just about shopping, it’s about donating and volunteering too.” “Our sales target is £1.6m a year, so that’s a significant amount of income that we need to make – it’s about £23,000 a week that we need to turnover,” she elaborated. She concluded by saying: “It is particularly hard for the hospice so it is absolutely vital we deliver for them.” For updates, BBC Berkshire can be followed on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external sites. Details on its approach to external linking are available.