A DOG charity is celebrating after its Rayleigh store became the first to make £1million in sales.

The Dogs Trust shop in Rayleigh High Street opened in 2014, celebrating its seventh birthday this month.

During those seven years, the store has processed 137,252 transactions and sold 506,876 items, bringing in the whopping £1million in revenue.

The charity hailed the achievement as a “huge milestone” and thanked the staff and volunteers - with many being there since the shop’s first day.

Sam Lynch, manager of the store, who started out as a volunteer, said: “I‘ve lived in Rayleigh all my life so when I heard that Dogs Trust were opening a shop, and looking for volunteers, I really wanted to get involved.

“I love fashion and I love dogs so it was the dream place to work for me and raise money for a cause we all love.

“Eventually I became assistant manager and then manager. There have been so many highlights, we won the Best Dressed Window from the town council a couple of years ago and now, of course, this.”

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Owen Sharp, Dogs Trust chief executive, sent a huge thank you to staff for their dedication and long service at the charity shop.

He said: “We’re so grateful to the amazing staff and volunteers at Rayleigh charity shop, and of course all of their wonderful customers, who have made this possible.

“Two of the managers started with us that very first day as volunteers, and many of our ten volunteers have been with us since then too.

“Everyone involved with the shop is tremendously loyal and dedicated to the work of Dogs Trust and this commitment is making a direct impact on dog’s lives.”

The whole team got together on Friday for a special certificate presentation by Mr Sharp, who attended with his Dogs Trust rescue dog Lexi.

Claudine Lapsky, Dogs Trust’s London and South-East Retail Area Manager, said: “It’s been a joy to see this group of people work together to make the shop the success it’s become. I remember signing some of them up as volunteers in the completely empty shop in 2014.

“The community support us so brilliantly with donations, and just shopping with us, and we really want to take this opportunity to say thank you to them too.”

She added: “This was one of the trial stores when we reopened after lockdown last year and they helped us find our way through and demonstrated the safe ways of working that we are really proud of.”

Visit www.dogstrust.org.uk/shopping/charityshops.