Happy birthday to our Blaby shop

Staff, volunteers and customers at the Rainbows shop in Blaby have celebrated its 10th birthday.

And as our shop pulled out all the stops to mark its anniversary in the village, four special people each celebrated volunteering for our charity for 10 years.

Pat Clark, Gill Wale, Jean Marsden and Louise Bateman all started at our Forge Corner shop in 2012. As a thank you, on Saturday (20), they were presented with our Long Service Award and Thank You certificate.

Eighty-year-old Pat, of Blaby, loves volunteering for us and would definitely encourage others to do it because she knows that indirectly, she is helping those families who need it the most.

Gill (66), of Glen Parva, started at the Blaby shop when she moved back to the area. She said: “I have loved working at the Blaby shop for 10 years. I have met some wonderful people, customers, volunteers and managers. I also believe that the work we all do is appreciated by the Rainbows team and the public.”

For 30-year-old Louise, of Blaby, volunteering is very rewarding and she enjoys going to the shop and seeing all of the people who work there.

And Jean (71), of Enderby, added: “Having been made redundant from my teaching job, I needed to have a purpose. From volunteering, I get to be part of a team who are all working towards the same goal. I have also made friendships and I enjoy meeting customers and having a sense of responsibility.”

Our shop was opened in August 2012 by late snooker legend and then, Rainbows Patron, Willie Thorne. On Saturday (20), celebrations included a visit from our mascot Bow Bear, the launch of the half price Summer Sale, celebration cakes, and the opportunity for volunteers old and new to get together at the shop and celebrate 10 years of our charity in Blaby.

Kay Gosling, Blaby Shop Manager, said: “We would like to thank every single person in Blaby who has bought something, donated unwanted goods or volunteered their time to help make the shop a success. Without your support, we would not be able to keep raising valuable funds needed to run the hospice and the services we provide to hundreds of families. These 10 years have flown by and the support of the Blaby community has been incredible.”