New Shop For Julia's House!

Julia’s House, Dorset’s children’s hospice, has opened a new shop in Blandford.

The event on Saturday (15^th Jan) was attended by the Mayor of Blandford, Esme Butler, town crier Jean Wells and guest of honour, three-year-old Elise Smith, who attends Julia’s House.

The children’s charity previously ran a smaller shop tucked away in Salisbury Street, but it proved so successful it outgrew its cramped premises. The new, bigger shop is in busy East Street, a main thoroughfare through the town.

Elise, who suffers from cerebral palsy, epilepsy and partial blindness, attends the charity’s Corfe Mullen-based hospice and also receives care at her home in Blandford.

Julia’s House has always had a strong presence in the town, its previous shop being one of the first opened by the charity in the county.

Shop Manager Rita Noble and Assistant Carole Speer are delighted with their spacious new premises, hoping to attract more customers by offering a wider range of quality clothes, books and toys plus small pieces of furniture, buggies and baby equipment. Rita said:

“I’m so excited, I’m dizzy! All the team are very proud; we have all worked really hard to get the new shop ready, including our husbands, and can’t wait to get started.”

Julia’s House now has eight shops in Dorset, including Poole, Christchurch, Broadstone, Ferndown and Wimborne.