LYMM’S former village centre Post Office is set to become a new home for St Rocco’s Hospice, who are vacating their existing charity shop premises after 30 years.
From June St Rocco’s will be leaving the premises near to the canal bridge and taking up residence in the site previously occupied by Harrisons and the Post Office next to the Lower Dam.
St Rocco’s retail Manager Eric Russell said:“Our fantastic volunteers work so hard to make our shop in Lymm a success and they are very excited that they will soon be operating in a retail unit which is so much more fit for purpose.
“Not only are there very steep steps up to the entrance of the existing shop, but also a set of narrow steps inside which make moving the stock around a challenge for the volunteers.”
The new location will see a marked improvement for all those in Lymm and the surrounding areas that support St. Rocco’s by donating their pre-loved clothing or household items. The short stay car parking spaces outside the shop will make it much easier to drop things off.
It will also offer shoppers a better retail experience as there will be more space to display items and better lighting. As the entrance and the shop itself are all on one level, access should no longer be an issue and members of the public who have pushchairs or use wheelchairs will hopefully have no problem getting in and out.
It is not the first time that St. Rocco’s have relocated in the village. The shop began life on the site of Lloyds Bank before moving round the corner.
“All the shop helpers and their families worked their socks off to get the shop ready to open,” recalls Angela Coates, one of the original volunteers.
The task is similarly herculean this time round, but with everyone working together they are sure that they will be ready in time to open the doors during this year’s Lymm Festival.
“We’ve always enjoyed a challenge in the Lymm shop,” said Volunteer Link Manager Betty Hughes, who has volunteered for the hospice since the beginning. “We are so pleased to be moving in to a shop where we can set to and make an even bigger contribution to ensuring that St. Rocco’s, a charity that we all love, is there for people when they really need the specialist care that it offers.”
The volunteers will be opening the doors on Friday, June 23 and are promising a special welcome to all visitors during the first weekend in the new shop.
Volunteers outside the existing St Rocco’s charity shop
