Business was booming in Swindon, as we welcomed hundreds of happy shoppers to our new Julia's House shop on the first day of opening.
The Regent Street store was “buzzing” with a non-stop stream of customers, who were all keen to bag a bargain and support Julia's House children's hospice.
Lorraine Scott and Kayleigh Winbow, from East Swindon, were two of the first people to enter the Julia’s House shop after it opened on Thursday 2nd May.
“Everything is so reasonably priced. We’ve bought so many things, we’re actually going to pick them up round the back in the car park!” said Lorraine. "It’s nice to know that you’re supporting the Julia’s House charity and local families, and that things are recycled and re-used. We’ll definitely be back, and we’ll bring some donations in too.”
Julia's House children's hospice receives just eight per cent government funding, so shop income and donations are vital for us to provide our critical and compassionate care to seriously ill children and their families.
Julia’s House has 15 shops in total across Wiltshire and Dorset and our new Swindon store will be open seven days a week.
Each of our shops have been sustainably and stylishly transformed by central Shop and Warehouse Manager, Dave Hutchings, and his dedicated team of volunteers.
“Shopping should be an experience, so we start at the beginning of the shop, and we imagine the customer journey and what might make them say, ‘wow,’ and feel warm inside,” said Dave. “When we first arrived here, this was the biggest, longest, white box I’d ever seen. It terrified me for about an hour because I couldn’t get my head around how we were going to make it feel so colourful and welcoming, and not be so echoey. But then the magic happened!”
No longer an empty shell, now the Swindon shop features bold William Morris-inspired wallpaper, a comfy seating area and vintage displays alongside a wide range of clothing, children’s toys, books, bric-a-brac and pre-loved treasures.
“I think it looks phenomenal,” said Lorraine. “It’s a really exciting place to be. It doesn’t look like a charity shop. We thought it was a boutique. It’s nice that there’s space for Kayleigh to go round in her wheelchair as well."
New Swindon Shop Manager, Nina Colliass, said, “This is a new challenge for me and I’m really excited to be part of bringing Julia’s House to Swindon’s High Street.
“So far, it’s been amazing and absolutely buzzing. The customers have been coming in thick and fast and we’ve had so much positive feedback – it’s just been a joy to experience.”
Nina said, “We’ve been so lucky to have lots of donations and support from volunteers already, and we’re really looking forward to welcoming more people through our shop doors in the coming days.”
Our Julia’s House Swindon Shop is open seven days a week: Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm, and Sunday, 10am to 4pm. Donations and volunteers are very welcome. Please enquire in store or email swindon.shop@juliashouse.org
