Leicestershire businesses donate their time to our new flagship store in Loughborough

Leicestershire businesses have been donating their time and services for free to our new flagship store in Loughborough town centre.

We are opening our new shop, in Cattle Market, on Thursday 7 July. It will be the first time we have had a presence in Loughborough in 15 years. And to help the opening get underway, businesses in the region have been donating gifts of time or equipment for free. Award-winning design company office Twelve created a bespoke interior for the shop.

Maximising a tight budget, the Desford-based company incorporated recycled materials into the project generating a unique look and feel. officeTwelve was inspired to get involved and support us after visiting the hospice.

MD Gina Mula said: ‘Visiting the hospice had a huge influence over the design team. It is an amazing place. We wanted to reflect the fun and friendly atmosphere at Rainbows while subtly reminding customers that their donations are helping children and young people with life-limiting conditions. To give our retail design skills to help Rainbows feels like a very small contribution to such a wonderful charity.”

Aspects of the design include reclaimed doors and old wooden chairs reimagined in unusual ways to create eye-catching displays and quirky changing rooms. Part of the design is a designated children’s area with a small table and chairs and toys. This equipment has all been provided by Leicestershire based, Vertigo-Interiors.com. along with two big armchairs, which will be stationed outside the changing rooms.

Hannah Reed, Assistant General Manager at Vertigo Interiors, said: “It has been our pleasure to provide this furniture for the new Rainbows shop. Having a children’s area is a wonderful idea to keep the little ones amused while the adults shop. We thought the armchairs were a great touch for the non-shoppers to put their feet up. Rainbows is an amazing charity and we are thrilled to be involved.”

JC Metalworks has supported us for a number of years through staff fundraising. Continuing its allegiance, the company based in Loughborough, has supplied all of the interior metal for the shop including clothing rails and stands.

Managing Director Jason Chauhan said: “We see Rainbows as being all about family and we are a family business with many families working here with us. To be able to support such a fantastic charity is an absolute pleasure for us and we will do everything we can to support them. When we were asked if we could help out with the new shop it really was a no brainer for us. We look forward to seeing the finished shop and our rails and shelves stocked up with items for people to buy.”

As it is a new store, we need stock to fill our shelves and welcome donations of clothing and bric-a-brac and donations from the Loughborough community will be greatly received. Bell Decorating Group has pledged its support to us with Loughborough-based employees giving their time to decorate rooms at the hospice on a rolling basis. To kick start the partnership, staff will be taking their paint brushes to the shop ahead of its opening.

Stuart Ridsdale, Business Development Manager at Bell Group, in Newark, said: “We are delighted to be giving our time and expertise to Rainbows and it is great that we can support the new shop alongside helping out at the hospice. We look forward to our partnership.”

Karndean Flooring, which is based in Eversham, has also donated all of the flooring for the shop.

Karen Bilsby, Head of Retail at Rainbows, added: “We would like to thank everyone for their support, from local businesses to ones further afield. Their donations have saved us money and we are very grateful.” To support the Loughbrough shop either with stock donations or by volunteering, contact 01509 638000.