Have a heart and help Chippenham charity shop (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Have a heart and help Chippenham charity shop

9:00am Saturday 18th February 2012 in Chippenham By Tom Mooney

The British Heart Foun-dation (BHF) is appealing to the community to help make its new store a success.

The furniture and electrical store, which is next to The Brunel pub in New Road, Chippenham, opens next month and the BHF is on the lookout for items to stock it with.

The aim is for a full shop offering a variety of household goods, from furniture to electrical items.

As long as the items are in good condition, the BHF can arrange free collection.

Andy Watkins, area manager, said: “With the support of the Chippenham community, we are hoping to make this new BHF furniture and electrical store a huge success. We need to fill the store with donated goods before we open so we are urging people if they are having a clearout to book a free collection – it’s an easy way to support the nation’s heart charity.”

It will be the second store of its type to open at the same end of town in the space of a few months.

The Dorothy House Hospice Care charity opened a similar store in Station Hill, just a couple of hundred yards up the road and many people have already donated items as part of a post-Christmas clear-out.

Kelly James, manager of the Dorothy House store, believes there is enough room for both of them in the town.

She said: “We have had an unbelievable response since we opened. There is a real appetite for this type of furniture store. There has been a very quick turnover of goods, so we must have our pricing right.

“I don’t think we are going to be too concerned about the British Heart Foundation opening up. They are a national charity whereas we are just in Wiltshire.

“We have a very loyal set of customers and that is why we get a good quality of donations.”

To arrange a free collection call the BHF store on 0844 848 9605 or visit www.bhf.org.uk/collection to book your collection online.