A presenter and journalist helped a dog charity open its newest charity shop.
Dogs Trust officially opened the doors of its new branch with the help of dog owner and local resident Natasha Kaplinsky OBE and her dog Dolly.
The shop in Cliffe High Street in Lewes offers a wide range of pre-loved goods including women's clothing and accessories, menswear and essential dog products.
Savvy shoppers and their canine counterparts can browse the bargains in store together, with all purchases raising vital funds for the charity as well as promoting awareness of the rescue pooches in Dogs Trust care.
Prior to cutting the ribbon Natasha thanked the crowd that had gathered outside the shop and said: “I’ve done a lot of exciting things in my life, but I think this has to top them all.
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“We’re here in Lewes, my hometown, and I love dogs - I have a lot of them. This is a brilliant new shop. I’ve had a look around and the quality of the items for sale is really amazing. I think it’s absolutely wonderful that so many people have come down to show their support.
“If you’re coming into Lewes to visit the shop, please do rummage around your house and help Dogs Trust fill the shelves with even more amazing products and if you’ve got any spare time, please help by joining the volunteer team.”
The new shop is the second Dogs Trust shop in East Sussex, the other being in St James’s Street, Brighton.
The charity now has 32 shops in England and Wales which have raised £3 million so far this year.
Carole Carlton Smith, head of retail at Dogs Trust, said: “We are very excited to open our latest boutique charity shop in Lewes which we hope will fit in well with the vintage, antique and second-hand offerings for which the town is famous.
“With sustainability at the heart of our business, we are hoping to offer an extended life to good quality, nearly new items of clothing, accessories and bric-a-brac which have been kept out of landfill.
"We offer quality items at a reasonable price and encourage locals to come and have a look around our Lewes shop where they might find something different and completely unique.
“We would be grateful for donations of quality clothing and accessories and we are also keen to meet new volunteers who can help us run our attractive little shop.”
At least 80 per cent of the shop fittings and furniture have been recycled and reused from other shops. All the lighting is LED.
The shop is open Monday to Saturday between 9am and 5pm. The shop team is looking for donations of pre-loved items of clothing, accessories and bric-a-brac and welcome items being dropped off any time during opening hours. Anyone interested in volunteering in the shop should drop in for an application form.
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