Rayleigh and Wickford MP, Mark Francois, helps celebrate the 25th anniversary year of St Luke’s Hospice in Basildon when he paid a visit to their newly opened charity shop in Wickford last week.
The new shop in Wickford, which is very roomy, is the latest edition to the St Luke’s range of shops and represents the tenth one which they operate in the South Essex area. Mark was particularly struck by how well laid out the shop is and by the wide variety of goods on offer from clothing (some of it quite upmarket) to books, CDs and even household furniture. Mark was shown around the shop by St Luke’s Chief Executive Officer, Eileen Marshall, who also briefed him on a number of activities which St Luke’s will be undertaking to celebrate their 25th year of operation.
As part of this, St Luke’s are encouraging their customers to take away a specially branded money box for collecting loose change with the idea that, once the box contains £10, if that is donated to St Luke’s, then the people who do so have a chance to be entered into a grand prize draw.
Speaking about his visit to the new shop, Mark said:
"As someone who grew up in Basildon I have always had a strong affection for St Luke’s Hospice, which is a really important part of our community in South Essex. I was really pleased to visit the new shop in Wickford (which is much bigger and better laid out than the one it replaced) and to have an opportunity to meet with some of the staff who work there. St Luke’s is a great cause and I hope that this shop will help them to raise even more money, particularly in their 25th anniversary year."