Liz Coates A YOUNG woman's spirit of adventure is being reflected in a new high street venture to boost a trust that helps travellers in trouble and sick children.

Liz Coates

A YOUNG woman's spirit of adventure is being reflected in a new high street venture to boost a trust that helps travellers in trouble and sick children.

Trustee and treasurer of the Mia-Lucy Rose Trust Belinda Plane has long been wanting to open a shop selling new items chosen to chime with 24-year-old Mia-Lucy's fun, fearless life-force.

A coffee shop and gallery selling works by local artists are also part of her drive to reinvent the charity shop.

Mia-Lucy's last few weeks were full of excitement while travelling through South-East Asia with companion Martin Ward. But she was caught and carried away by a strong current while crossing the Mekong River in Laos.

After her death, her family set up a trust fund to provide Gorleston's clifftop trim trail and help other families searching for missing children abroad. Recently, the International Rescue Corps, which sent a team to help search for Mia-Lucy when she went missing four years ago, was able to buy a boat to help future missions with some of the money raised locally.

This week, workmen were putting the finishing touches to Mia-Lucy's - as it will be called - at 175 High Street, Gorleston. An official opening may take place in a few weeks.

Mia-Lucy's mother Pauline, of Buxton Avenue, said she felt sure her daughter would have liked all the gifts, candles, jewellery and cards on sale in the shop, including breast cancer and dreams and wishes ranges which fitted in well with the trust's ethos.

Mrs Plane said the bottom had fallen out of traditional charity shops since whole outfits could now be bought at supermarkets for as little as £5. Her wish was always to do something different.

She added: “I have had the idea up my sleeve for three years, but it was a matter of finding the right premises with the right feel.

“It is quite a big step for the charity. We want to push the trim trail and help disabled children generally.

“Ideally we wanted it in Gorleston, but it will be hard for the family facing it every day and seeing her name up there.”

She said setting up the shop had been further inspired by Mia-Lucy's grandmother Mabel, who died recently but had been a great supporter of the trust's work.

Artists interested in displaying their works or donating a painting to the trust can call 01493 662250.