8 October 2010
The League of Friends shop in St Helier Hospital has been officially re-opened by 'Ab Fab' actress June Whitfield following a £65,000 refurbishment.
The shop, which sells magazines, books, sandwiches, gifts and many other items, has been extended so that patients, visitors and staff can choose from a wider selection of goods. In addition, wider, automatic doors have been installed to improve access for people with disabilities.
June Whitfield, who is president of the St Helier and Sutton League of Friends said: "I was delighted to be invited to officially open the shop, but all of the credit should go to the wonderful League of Friends volunteers. It is their hard work and commitment that has raised the money for these improvements. I would encourage anyone who is visiting the hospital to drop in and have a look - you never know what you might find to buy."
Chair of the League of Friends, Val Brundle said: "I'm sure I speak for all of our volunteers when I say we just love the new shop! It's such an improvement on the old one - we've got new flooring, new walls, new fridges and an even bigger stock room to store our gifts and goodies.
"Having more room means that we can offer our patients, visitors and staff an even greater choice. We'll be launching a survey soon to find out what people want to see on our shelves, so keep an eye out for that.
"Although we worked hard to raise the money for the refurbishment, it truly was worth every penny. I would like to say a huge thank you to June for coming to cut the ribbon for us."
The extension and refurbishment was funded by the trading arm of the League of Friends, meaning that it came from profits generated in their shop and tea bars and not from donations.
