Weston Hospicecare’s shop in Wedmore closes today, but its manager has marked the farewell by thanking villagers for their support in the eight months it has been running.
The shop in Borough Mews opened last summer, but traded for the final time today before closing its doors.
Shop manager Tracey Franklin-Greenwood said she was sad to see the shop close, but paid tribute to the hard work of the volunteer team which helped run it, and to Wedmore villagers for their support.
Tracey, who began working at the Wedmore shop a month after it opened, said: “Our customers have been so lovely, so I would like to thank them for their support during the months the shop has been running.
“We have made some wonderful friends in Wedmore, and we are sad to be saying goodbye.”
Tracey (pictured, centre, alongside Shirley Wederell, chair of the hospice’s Wedmore Friends group, and volunteer Liz Burton) will move to the hospice’s shop in Winscombe instead, where she will be joined by other members of Wedmore’s volunteer team.
Weston Hospicecare’s Retail Director Gemma Turner said it is never an easy decision to close a shop, but joined Tracey in heralding the support offered by the Wedmore community.
Gemma said: “We of course have a responsibility to manage our resources in the best interests of Weston Hospicecare, and that means ensuring our shops are in the best possible locations.
“That can sometimes mean changes need to be made to our portfolio, and while it’s always a difficult decision to close a shop, we would like to thank the people of Wedmore for all of their support over the past eight months, and to say how much we have enjoyed being a part of the village community.
“Running the shop has been a wonderful experience which Tracey, Lisa and our fantastic volunteer team have really enjoyed.”
Weston Hospicecare’s successful Wedmore Friends group will continue to operate in the village, while the support offered to patients in Wedmore will not be affected by the shop move.
Shoppers – and people keen to donate items for sale – will still be able to support Weston Hospicecare by visiting the charity’s shops in nearby Cheddar, Winscombe and Burnham-on-Sea.