On Saturday 19 September, we celebrated the opening of our ninth charity shop situated at 10 Chequers Street, St Albans, AL1 3XZ, extending our tradition of beautiful boutique-style charity shopping across Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.
Mayor of the City and District of St Albans, Matt Fisher, and shoppers intending to visit the Saturday market stopped to join in with the fun and to take a look at what was on offer instore. Our team also had a market stall next to iconic building The Gables on the Marketplace, with a raffle for hampers put together by the team. After a friendly competition with the fruit merchants next door of ‘who can shout the loudest’, we were delighted to have a pineapple gifted to us to add to the hampers too.
Willow shops showcase a range of pre-loved clothing, accessories and homeware, and every purchase supports our mission to create lasting memories for young adults faced with challenging serious illnesses.
One such beneficiary is Marian who bravely told the crowd about her experience of illness and the joy of her Willow experience before cutting the ribbon to open the new shop.
“On behalf of my family we would like to say thank you so much for gifting us a beautiful holiday in the Cotswolds. It was a break for us, but especially for the children, to take some respite from what they’ve witnessed, from what our family has experienced with critical illness. I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in my thirties. I was young fit and healthy with no family history, and yet I still got it. The holiday that Willow gifted us will last us through our lifetime. It will remind them that it is a choice to actually go out there and enjoy yourselves, and to respect our bodies and our time with each other. That’s actually what Willow has done for us and our family. It’s not just a holiday, it was actually about self care. Thank you so much.”
Willow’s CEO, Jonathan Aves, said “Everything about these shops is about raising funds to be able to provide more Special Days to our beneficiaries. Thank you to all the Willow staff and to everyone who worked so hard to make this shop such a fantastic looking shop in St Albans.”
The shop will be open seven days a week, giving locals and visitors plenty of opportunities to shop in-store, donate pre-loved items, or volunteer their time. It was a day to remember for all of us at Willow, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who made it possible.
