Age UK Lancashire have been joined by local MP Antony Higginbotham and the people of Burnley for the grand opening of their newest shop on Temple Street.
The shop, which uses the community centre building on Temple Street offers furniture, clothing and an array of items, alongside an opportunity to grab a coffee and have a chat with the staff and other customers.
Commenting on the ribbon cutting ceremony Antony Higginbotham said:
It’s in the heart of the community, run by the community.
Most importantly, it will help to support Age UK Lancashire, which does brilliant work not only here in Burnley but right across the county.
I think it’ll be a huge asset because of how important Age UK is. You speak to any older person about which charity first comes to mind for them and it’s Age UK, so having a physical building where they can come and have a coffee, to speak to someone, is invaluable. Because it’s not on the high street people can come in without the fear of being judged.
Full credit to the team for having the foresight to do it because it’s a big building to fill and it looks brilliant inside and out. It really has got something for everyone.
It’s been a busy period for Age UK Lancashire’s retail team with the recent opening of a shop in St Annes on the Fylde Coast as well as this one in Burnley.
Donna Studholme who is Director of Operations at Age UK Lancashire said:
It was great to welcome the people of Burnley, local organisations and the local MP Antony to our grand opening of our new shop. It’s great to finally open the doors and we’re excited to place ourselves in the heart of Burnley’s community.
We have a fabulous team and shop is bursting with high quality products, furniture so please come along, and you’ll be welcome with a friendly smile.
The shop, located round the corner from Burnley FC’s Turf Moor, is the ninth Age UK Lancashire shop and the largest with a range of furniture, electricals, and clothing available to buy.
All the money raised at the store go towards supporting more older people in East Lancashire. Each year, Age UK Lancashire support over 12,000 older people who are isolated, vulnerable or living with long term illnesses. It will help fund services like their free helpline, which in in the past 12 months has received over 30,000 calls for information and advice.
The new shop is reliant on the support and generosity of the public and welcome any donations and offer a free collection service for large items and furniture.
Age UK Lancashire is also looking for local volunteers who can spare a few hours a week to help the staff in a wide variety of roles, such as sorting stock and serving customers, display and social media support.
