UK’s largest charity store welcomes first customers
1 year ago
A 120,000 square foot department store has reopened its doors, brought back to life by the beneficiaries of local homelessness charity Emmaus Preston.
People who are supported by Emmaus helped to transform the former Debenhams at Fishergate Shopping Centre in Preston into a charity department store, bustling with customers during the first day of opening on Friday 14 March. The huge Emmaus Department Store took ten weeks to fill with new, as-new and preloved furniture, white goods, fashion and homeware as well as some new items including toys, end-of-line curtains and brand new bedding.
Among the shoppers eager to be first through the doors was Jimmy Ainsworth from Blackburn. Jimmy said: “We heard about the new Emmaus store opening so we thought we’d come along to see if there was anything interesting, and there it was – a lovely G-Plan sideboard! It was very inexpensive at £85, the new store is very bright and clean, and the staff were wonderful.”
All proceeds from the sale of items will help Emmaus Preston raise the vital funding needed to provide a home, support, work experience and training to help people with experience of homelessness and social exclusion in Lancashire. You can shop at Emmaus Department Store, Fishergate Shopping Centre, Preston, PR1 8HL from Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm and on Sundays from 11am 5pm.