Children's charity Newlife to reopen Cannock stores
A charity in Staffordshire is set to reopen two of its stores after they were temporarily closed due to coronavirus.
Newlife's superstore and home store, both in Cannock, will open their doors from Monday with a range of measures introduced.
It comes as the children's charity was left facing a funding black hole with shops closed and fundraisers cancelled.
Sheila Brown OBE, co-founder and CEO of Newlife, said: "We are extremely pleased to be able to open our stores and welcome back our loyal supporters. We have received lots of messages from people wanting to know when they will be able to shop with us again over recent weeks.
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"Our number one priority is keeping our staff and customers safe, so we are in the process of introducing a number of measures to ensure that happens.
"For the time being, we will be operating in a limited capacity with a reduced store size and will review this over coming weeks.
"It has been an incredibly difficult time for the charity as our stores are our main income stream so that pretty much ceased overnight when they closed, yet families needed us more than ever.
Card payments
"So we have continued operating our essential services that provide a lifeline for families with disabled and terminally ill children across the UK, often when they have nowhere else to turn."
Social distancing measures will be enforced at both stores, off Hemlock Way, with a one-way costumer flow to ensure people are safe.
Shoppers will be limited to 60 in the superstore and 20 in the home store – which both have reduced opening hours – with clear two-metre markings allowing shoppers to queue outside.
Stores will only accept card payments and new baskets have been introduced – along with a new sanitiser station, which can be used for hand and basket use.
Staff at the charity, which has provided equipment to more than 22,500 children, will have suitable personal protective equipment.
All money raised by Newlife's stores goes towards providing specialist equipment and support to disabled and terminally-ill children across the UK.
The charity also runs the UK’s only emergency equipment loan service – which aims to get specialist equipment to families in crisis within 72 hours.
For more information visit newlife.bargains/reopening
