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Actress Anita Dobson opens charity shop

BBC Anita Dobson looking at the camera wearing a red coat and scarf with black gloves. To her left is Julie Rowley, Director of retail at Thames Hospice she is wearing a black dress and pink short jacket.BBC
Anita Dobson said Thames Hospice was a "wonderful charity"

Actress Anita Dobson said a hospice charity does "incredible work" as she cut the ribbon for its new shop in Maidenhead.

The former EastEnders star officially opened the Thames Hospice Homestore in Boyn Valley Road on Wednesday.

The store traded for five years in Reform Road, but has now relocated to a larger space.

Ms Dobson said: "It's a wonderful charity, the work they do for people that are sick is just incredible, without them them I think the community would be suffering even more than it already is."

Director of retail at Thames Hospice Julie Rowley said she was "absolutely overwhelmed by the support that we've had from the community".

A crowd of people outside the Thames Hospice Homestore for it's grand opening with Anita Dobson. A green ribbon is about to be cut by Anita Dobson dressing in a red jacket and scarf.
The Thames Hospice Homestore has relocated to a larger premises in Maidenhead

The new store is almost double the size of the old one, and offers a range of goods, ample parking and a small coffee shop.

Ms Dobson said "lots of people came with smiley faces" to the store opening.

She said: "When they got inside and saw the stuff that's on offer they were smiling even more."

Julie Rowley, Director of retail at Thames Hospice smiling at the camera is wearing a black dress and pink short jacket.
Julie Rowley from Thames Hospice said she was "very grateful to the Maidenhead community"

Ms Rowley said: "I'm really thrilled and excited that we've moved.

She said the charity 100% relied on the support of the community, adding: "It isn't just about shopping, it's about donating and volunteering too."

"Our sales target is £1.6m a year, so that's a significant amount of income that we need to make - it's about £23,000 a week that we need to turnover," she said.

"It is particularly hard for the hospice so it is absolutely vital we deliver for them."

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