Charity Shop closes its door for the last time2 Jul 2007 |
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| Toc H's charity shop in Williamson Road, Kempston closed its doors for the last time on Friday after more than 18 years service to the local community. Jack and Pat Turner have managed the shop as volunteers since it was officially opened by Cecil Cove, then the Mayor of Kempston, in December 1988. Toc H decided not to renew the lease, which expires in June, as the five volunteers who have worked at the shop from the very beginning are all in their eighties. In fact the eldest of them is almost 94 years old. Over the years, the shop has made a profit of £280k. Half of this was used for national Toc H project work, while the rest was distributed by Kempston Toc H branch for local good work. This included sponsoring a Guide Dog for the Blind, providing five baby monitors for use by community nurses, supported the 229 project, the residents at Brookside Home and the Sue Ryder Hospice. They also helped the Primrose and Chemo appeals at Bedford Hospital and purchased three minibuses for use in the local community. Kempston Councillor Kay Burley, who attended the farewell party held at the shop on Friday, said: “The Toc H shop has not only been a real asset to the local community by providing a service and raising money for good causes, but it has also been a focal point for many people to meet and make friends. I'm sure that this will be sorely missed by many.” Pat said: “This is the end of an era as Kempston was the only remaining charity shop for Toc H in the country. We were very lucky to have a dedicated band of Toc H members and volunteers who enjoyed working in the shop on a regular weekly rota from Monday to Saturday. Without them we couldn't do this community work.” |  |
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