New Curiosity Shop helps support Warrington Mental Health

A new curiosity shop has opened in Warrington town centre helping support mental health organisations in the town.

The Needful Things Curiosity Shop was officially opened by Warrington-Worldwide Editor Gary Skentelbery and young supporter Ashton in the run-up to Christmas.

When RISE North West was burgled earlier this year, the mental health peer support organisation was on the brink of closure.

Mark Moran, founder of RISE, said, “I was working with the other volunteers thinking how to go forward and I had a chance conversation with Keith Houghton, a retired Sales Manager. Keith stated his personal dream had always been to have a shop on Bridge Street, then he asked could we make his dream come true and let him open up a shop with a difference?”.

Needful Things has become that dream maker.

Keith had worked with Mark Moran, founder of RISE North West, on a “Save their local pub campaign” last year. When he heard what had happened, he stepped in with a fantastic idea to help repay what was lost during the break-in.

Keith retransformed the previous Bridge Street offices of RISE into an amazing curiosity shop. With meandering aisles of preloved and new items, gifts including some wonderous nick knacks.

“Where else can you by a unique Chopper bike and a Darning Stick in the same shop!” exclaimed Keith. “This is exactly as I dreamt my shop to be, somewhere you can get lost in and spend hours just looking at all the amazing bits and bobs.”

Mark added: “Mr. Warrington, our very own Gary Skentelbery, opened the shop along with Keith’s Grandson, young Ashton, named after the Wire legend, Ashton Simms. As he cut the ribbon Gary stated “It’s a very humbling experience to be asked to support this as for the last 40 years I’ve been on the other side of the ribbon taking the pictures … Mental Health is a big passion of mine; it’s been great working with Mark helping highlight the issues in the town as it’s at an all-time low for a lot of people, especially with COVID-19 so it’s important we all work together, stand together to help each other to make it a better place.”

Needful Things is a not-for-profit shop with all profits going back into mental health projects.

Mark added: “As RISE had signposted people elsewhere, this was now the ideal time to review and reorganise our services as the funding we have lost is replenished. Having said that, we still want to support the provision of mental health services across our town. Early intervention is key in our support, so with the agreement of Keith we have chosen to donate some of the shop profits to Papyrus, the youth mental health support charity.”

Keith concluded: “initially this will be for the first quarter and then we will choose another well-deserving cause.”