Celebration as Wigan charity shop reopens after refurbishment

A charity shop forced to close for refurbishment after water damage will reopen today with a special celebration.
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Around £5,000 has been spent on repairing the flooring at The Brick’s shop on Gidlow Lane in Wigan, which has been shut for two weeks.

It will reopen today with a celebration for staff, volunteers and customers, complete with cakes and refreshments throughout the day.

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Retail team lead Pauline Mitchell said: “I started volunteering for The Brick 17 years ago and I love my role as the retail team lead at our Gidlow Lane shop. No two days are the same and I love our customers and the banter we have.

Retail team lead Pauline MitchellRetail team lead Pauline Mitchell
Retail team lead Pauline Mitchell

“I would encourage people to stop by and see us at the shop, as we are all a friendly bunch and we have some great buys with new stock coming in daily. So stop by, enjoy some tea and cake and grab a bargain too!”

The shop first opened 47 years ago and is run by a team of staff and volunteers.

It provides a major income stream for The Brick, allowing the Wigan and Leigh charity to continue to provide help for people facing poverty, homelessness and other issues.

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Looking forward to her new job in the Gidlow Lane store was shop assistant Jennifer Scholicar, who said: “I was interested in the way The Brick helps people and I wanted to be involved in that, that’s why I applied for the role.

Harriet Foxon, the charity’s finance and commercial managerHarriet Foxon, the charity’s finance and commercial manager
Harriet Foxon, the charity’s finance and commercial manager

“I was very excited about getting the job and couldn’t wait to get stuck in. I’m looking forward to learning more about the different departments within The Brick and to find out how the Gidlow Lane shop supports people within the community.”

Harriet Foxon, the charity’s finance and commercial manager, said: “As well as repairing the flooring in the shop, we have also rearranged the layout. We have made the store more accessible and even more visually appealing for our customers, and all our staff have donated their time to help brighten the shop up ahead of the reopening.

“We are all looking forward to welcoming our loyal customers back and hopefully some new customers will come and see us on our celebration day.”

The celebration will run from 9.30am to 4.30pm today.

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