Every little helps for new Wigan shop opening

A local supermarket provided valuable assistance when a hub helping residents suffering with multiple sclerosis (MS) launched its own charity shop to bring in vital funds and help the wider community.
Councillors Paul Prescott, Eileen Rigby and Jeanette Prescott are shown the new Wigan MS Therapy Centre charity shop shop by fundraisers Heather Read and Janet MatherCouncillors Paul Prescott, Eileen Rigby and Jeanette Prescott are shown the new Wigan MS Therapy Centre charity shop shop by fundraisers Heather Read and Janet Mather
Councillors Paul Prescott, Eileen Rigby and Jeanette Prescott are shown the new Wigan MS Therapy Centre charity shop shop by fundraisers Heather Read and Janet Mather

Julie Murphy, the community champion at Tesco donated clothes hangers and clothes to the new venture which has proved a huge success since it opened.

Wigan MS Therapy Centre has been running the store inside its Kitt Green Road premises since the start of the month, selling traditional charity shop fare such as clothes, books and a wide range of other items.

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Fund-raising manager Heather Reed said: “We had a pop-up shop earlier in the summer, and since then we’ve been getting lots of new members who didn’t realise we existed before. But that’s costing us money because everything here is subsidised.

“We get a lot of stuff given to us, which we sell on eBay or Facebook etc, so a charity shop was well needed.

“We turned a room inside the centre into a bit of a charity room, but so we could display it all as brilliantly.”

She added: “We can’t believe the difference. We opened last week and the response has been great. The community champion at Wigan Tesco, Julie Murphy, helped out, they donated lots of coat hangers and some clothes to go in the shop.

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“The work we’re all doing is good for the community, it’s win-win. It’s Wiganers helping Wiganers. We always support local charities. I ask local businesses to provide vouchers etc, so that gets them more custom and return business.

The shop was also supported by councillors Jeanette and Paul Prescott, and Eileen Rigby, who donated a chunk of their Brighter Borough fund to help get things up and running.

To find out more about the centre, visit wiganmstherapycentre.org

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