Marple Review Summer 2024

Marple Review, Summe er 2024 – 17

Charity volunteers scoop top award

By Anne Frazer AVRIL Fletcher and her team have scooped the Cancer Research Shop of the Y Ye ear Aw Award 2024 for this area.

Success on awards night didn’t end there.

Shop volunteers received Flame of Hope awards for their Services to Cancer Research # % ' % & % $ & % '' % $'% &" % started volunteering 34 years ago; Val White and Fiona Whitehouse, for 18 years, and Judith Sheil for 15.

Cutting the ribbon in 1991 was the unforgettable female impersonator, or comic in a frock, as he preferred to be known, Danny La Rue. Over 100 people queued up and the shop sold almost all its stock on day one.

The Market Street shop remains a bustling Aladdin’s Cave today. What makes it Shop of the Year? “First and foremost, it’s the people of Marple,” says Avril, manager for the last 22 years. “They’re so generous in bringing donations and buying our new and pre-loved They h help iitems. Th l us exceed d our targets and d we’re the only shop out of the 22 to manage that. We signed up 618 Gift Aid subscribers %' % #&% % % % # "%#%$ % &ence to contributions.”

Avril’s experience plays a part also as she has a canny eye for quality and a knack with

internet searches to identify quality goods.

“Credit to the volunteers and two part-time " # % #&!#&#% # $%# % % ' % $'%!& % items of interest to me when sifting through donations. I take a closer look, you acquire a sense for it, sometimes down to weight in the hand and brand awareness. Then a %& " #& $%$ "% %#% # &% & % 'rable items include a gold necklace we sold for £380 and vintage Mulberry handbag for £290. A Guinness toucan ornament fetched £300, and a ‘well-loved’ toy elephant brought in a creditable £65,” A Av vril added.

I left the shop £20 lighter having bought a new pair of Totes slider shoes and a preloved M&S raincoat. There’s so much tempting stock including the colourful gin glasses (pictured, £6.99 each, gift boxed).

Is Avril tempted to splash out? “I’m very restrained. It’s perhaps a reaction to working in a cluttered stockroom. I like everything to be minimalist at home. However, when on holiday I rarely pass a charity shop without pop pping I’m llooking i iin. I’ ki ffor presentation t ti idea as though, not purchases. Fortunately, my $ "!# % % "%$# % '% # % % $ % #& " % pub b.”

Th he Cancer Research shop is always looking for f stock and volunteers to help in the storre or stockroom. Pop in if you can help.

Volunteers Barbara Leach, left, and Sue Lowe, rig ght, raise a glass to success with shop manager Avril v Fletcherr..

Back row: Paulline Harrison, Karen Morris, A Av vril Fletcherr,, Kay Scott, Caro ol Pollitt.

Seated: Sue Ibb botson (President) and Jennifer Brooks (founding memberr).

Hatss off to stylish ladies

By Anne Frazerr

LADIES of Marple and Goyt Valley Inner at Marple Cancer Research Wheel called in a Shop with a bum mper donation of £1,000.

They raised mo ost of the funding from a Fizz Fashion Sho ow at Marple Golf Club.

The ladies have an eye for style, and this stant they set foot in the locked in the ins shop. They were e so taken with the range of special occas sion hats that they happily modelled them for f the camera camera.

The donation comes c in a milestone year for The Inner Wh heel. The organisation, now international, wa as founded 100 years ago in Manchester by b Nurse Margarette Golding. Its aims include raising funds for charp in the community. ity and helping people To mark the centtenary in May, members

celebrated at its international co onvention at Manchester Central.

The Marple club was set up 40 years ago above) as Jennifer Brooks (in the red dress d recalls well as she was a founding member. c Club President Sue Ibbotson chose Cancer Research UK Cancer to o receive the donation: “Cancer impacts so many people. Everyone knows someo one who is '&%$#"%! %# %'&%$#"%! %# % themselves, so it was a popularr choice.”

Shop manager Avril Fletcher was w delight % $% $ % $ % % "%#% # % " " %# % # "%#%& # % & %"'% $# % you y for choosing Cancer Resea arch. And you all look amazing!” y To know more about the Innerr Wheel, please email Club Corresponde p ent Carol Pollitt at carolpollitt@gmail.com p g m P