 Julia’s House, Dorset’s only children’s hospice, will be opening the doors of a new shop in Bridport on Saturday 17 November 07 at 10am. The new Bridport store will represent the most westerly Julia’s House outlet in the county, giving the charity a strong presence in the community and a vital fundraising channel.
The Mayor of Bridport, Councillor Geoffrey Ackerman, will be cutting the ribbon of what will be the sixth Julia’s House shop to open in the county, located at 21 West Street. To further mark the occasion, Julia’s House volunteers will be on hand to welcome shoppers and offer light refreshments. Ann Scovell, Retail and Volunteers Manager for Julia’s House, said: “We’re thrilled to open our new shop in Bridport, our first in the most westerly part of Dorset in what is a thriving local community. It will allow us to offer a wide range of quality donated goods and will help to bring in much needed funds to expand the care service for families in Bridport and across Dorset.” The new shop will be selling a range of Christmas cards in addition to the new Julia’s House calendar, which has made a welcome return for 2008 by popular demand, not to mention the charity’s usual high quality range of second hand goods and clothing. Julia’s House is creating a network of shops throughout Dorset and already boasts shops in Poole, Broadstone, Blandford, Christchurch, and Ferndown and plans to open shops in Weymouth, Sherborne and Dorchester in the future. The shops provide essential funds for the charity, which will go towards the running of the children’s hospice in Corfe Mullen, as well as the charity’s vital work in the community. Julia’s House would like to urge members of the public to get in touch if they have items to donate, or would like to help out in the Bridport shop on 01202 640402. Julia’s House is Dorset’s only hospice dedicated to children with life-limiting conditions. The majority of the children that it cares for are unlikely to live into adulthood (defined as beyond the age of 18). The children’s hospice complements the work of the Julia’s House Community Team, which consists of 50 nurses and carers who travel the county, providing life-changing support for families in their own homes. In 2006, the charity provided more than 6,000 hours of care for Dorset’s children. It costs around £1.5m to run Julia’s House, yet the charity receives just five per cent of its total annual funding from the Government for 2007 only. The rest of the charity’s essential income will be raised through the generosity of the Dorset community. For more information about Julia’s House, please contact 01202 640 402 or visit www.julias-house.org |
