THE first Big C charity shop in Great Yarmouth was officially opened last week.Charity marketing and communications manager, Sharon Hulbert, said the opening of the shop in Regent Street would be a positive boost.

THE first Big C charity shop in Great Yarmouth was officially opened last week.

Charity marketing and communications manager, Sharon Hulbert, said the opening of the shop in Regent Street would be a positive boost.

She said: “We want to make this shop a gateway to cancer support. We sold some furniture worth over a hundred pounds when we first opened the doors and we look set to sell more merchandise over the weekend.”

The official opening was performed by Radio Norfolk's Graham Barnard and Karen Buchanan, and also there to lend their support were the Mayor and Mayoress, Terry and Jenny Easter.

Chief executive Daniel Williams said: “Big C has been good at setting out its stall. The work that is undertaken by staff and volunteers is invaluable.

“Each person who comes in to the shop will hopefully learn something about what Norfolk and Waveney's Big C charity is all about. It is a shocking statistic that by 2017, there will be 7,500 people in the Norfolk and Waveney region who could be affected.”

Trustees, staff members and volunteers mingled with curious customers who were viewing the clothes, books, bric-a-brac and other items on Wednesday afternoon last week.

Big C funds equipment for the hospitals in the region including James Paget University Hospital. The charity awarded £52,910 to the JPUH for an ultrasound machine for breast screening last year.

It also funds the Big C Centre at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital where patients and their families from across the county can receive psychological emotional and economic support. Donations also enable Big C to fund world class research into cancer at the University of East Anglia.

Too help out, or find out more, call 01603 619900 or go to www.big-c.co.uk

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