Mayor opens British Heart Foundation shop

Ryde Mayor, Cllr. Michael Lilley, was joined by staff, volunteers and the local community to celebrate the opening of a new British Heart Foundation shop on Ryde High Street. The shop will help fund life-saving research into heart and circulatory diseases.

The Mayor welcomed shoppers and staff, by ceremonially cutting the ribbon, and staff were thrilled to see so many customers head down to support their new local shop and bag some bargains.

The shop stocks a huge range of good quality and affordable second-hand items such as clothing, shoes, bags, toys, belts, as well as books, music and films. In addition, the shop will also sell children’s prams, high chairs and travel cots and is urgently seeking donations of these items.

Cllr. Michael Lilley said: “it’s an absolute pleasure to officially open this British Heart Foundation shop and meet the great staff and volunteers. I would encourage locals to support BHF by donating any good quality items to help this fantastic charity to beat heartbreak forever.”

Vincent Stevens, Area Manager at the BHF, said: “The opening of the new Ryde shop went extremely well. Each item sold will help the BHF fund life-saving heart research, so if you have not yet visited, then please do come by to see what great bargains are on offer. With the Isle of Wight Festival taking place this week, we hope locals will also make sure to check out our fantastic festival accessory range.

“We still urgently need more donations so if you are having a clear out in the next few weeks, we would love to receive any unwanted clothing and accessories. Donating couldn’t be easier with our free collections service and it’s a great way to cut down on waste.
“If you would rather give the gift of time, we are always in need of volunteers who can spare a couple of hours a week, so please get in touch if you are interested.”