Grace’s Place appeals for unwanted goods, support and time

Grace’s Place, Children’s Hospice shop

Grace’s Place, Children’s Hospice is appealing for local people to support its new Rochdale shop – the charity’s first retail space to open in North Manchester – and help spread some magic to families across the region.

As well as asking people to donate their unwanted goods, the charity is looking for volunteers and encouraging people to shop at the unit, which is based in the Wheatsheaf Shopping Centre.

Forget Me Not took over Grace’s Place in Radcliffe, Bury in 2017, and it hopes to open the doors to families later this year. After reaching its first fundraising target of £60,000 before Christmas, the charity is already caring for some of the 650 children with life-shortening conditions and their families in Bury, Rochdale and Oldham through its Hospice at Home service.

Now, Forget Me Not is asking people to donate quality, unwanted items such as clothes, books, toys, household items and furniture, which it can sell in its new shop.

To help with the running of the retail unit, Forget Me Not also needs volunteers. Not only are there opportunities to work in the shop itself, but there are options to sort through the stock and drive one of the vans to collect and deliver larger items.

Forget Me Not would also like to see people from Rochdale and the surrounding area visit the shop and help raise money for its new children’s hospice opening in Bury.

Gareth Pierce, Forget Me Not’s head of trading, said: “The local community has already shown a lot of interest in our new shop in Rochdale, and now we’re asking people to come forward to help us make a success of it – especially by volunteering. Even if you have only got a couple of hours free a week, it would be a huge help. Volunteering is a great way for you to boost your CV and develop new skills, as well as give back to the local community and help children with life-shortening conditions and their families.”

Forget Me Not plans to open three other shops across North Manchester over the coming months, including one in Bury.

Anyone interested in volunteering or supporting the charity, should email volunteers@forgetmenotchild.co.uk or call into the shop in the Wheatsheaf Shopping Centre.

The charity also offers a furniture delivery, collection and house clearance service. Call 01706 654 616 or enquire in the Rochdale shop if you would like more details.