UGC: Crawley Community Shop is relaunched

Thirty-seven years ago June Romaine and Raymond Ward opened Crawley's first charity shop.
By The Newsroom
Published 17th Jan 2017, 08:00 BST

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.

Peter Mansfield-Clark MBE cutting the ribbon, with June Romaine who opened the original shop 37 years agoPeter Mansfield-Clark MBE cutting the ribbon, with June Romaine who opened the original shop 37 years ago
Peter Mansfield-Clark MBE cutting the ribbon, with June Romaine who opened the original shop 37 years ago

It was hosted by Crawley Community and Voluntary Service and it enabled small charities and community groups which were too small to run a charity shop to raise funds.

Over the years the shop has raised over £500,000 for these small charities.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The public donated goods to be sold and Crawley Borough Council kindly gave a rent rebate on the lease, this meant that very little expense was incurred.

The shop exteriorThe shop exterior
The shop exterior

Over the years rules and regulations have changed and the shop had to aquire its own legal identity.

As of the first of October 2016 it became Crawley Community Shop Ltd.

It will be run in exactly the same way with local groups being given a portion of the funds. The portion given relates to the amount of time put in working in the shop by volunteers from each group.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The current groups working in the shop are The League of Friends of Crawley Hospital, Crawley CVS, Crawley United Reformed Church, Open Fields Disabled and Carers Club, Crawley Museum, Cruse, Girl Guiding Crawley and the Phoenix Choir.

The shop exteriorThe shop exterior
The shop exterior

Over the years many other groups have worked in and benefited from the shop.

On Saturday 7 th January 2017 Peter Mansfield-Clark MBE, Chief Executive of Crawley CVS was invited by June Romaine to officially open the shop by cutting a red ribbon.

This was done in front of guests, volunteers and customers who entered the shop and were given cake and bucks fizz to celebrate.

__

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1) Make our website your homepage at www.crawleyobserver.co.uk

2) Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/crawleyobserver

3) Follow us on Twitter @Crawley_Obby

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!

The Crawley Observer - always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.

Related topics:Crawley Borough Council