STAFF at a charity shop have celebrated five years of trade.

The Havens Hospice shop, in King Street, in Stanford-le-Hope, opened in April 2014 and sales from the shop have been helping the charity since it opened its doors.

Caroline Mitchell, who joined the team as manager last month having been assistant manager at the charity’s shop in Grays since 2017, said: “The staff and the volunteers are amazing, they all welcomed me with open arms when I joined in March and it almost feels like we’ve all been one big family for much longer than a month.

“Many of our volunteers have been with us since near the beginning; so I would really like to thank them all for their hard work and dedication over the last five years and I look forward to work with them and continue to raise as much money as we can for the charity and `Making every day count’ for all who access the hospices.

“Finally, I would like to thank the local community for their generosity and support over the past five years – all the care and support Little Havens and The J’s provides is free and that is only possible because of the kindness of our supporters.

“Every purchase helps an adult, baby, child or young person living with a serious illness be as pain free and comfortable as possible – for as long as needed. So thank you.”

The money raised in the shop helps Havens Hospices provide respite, manage pain and symptoms and care for seriously ill babies, children, teenagers and young people across Essex through two of the charity’s hospice services – Little Havens Hospice and The J’s Hospice.