A COMMUNITY has been invited to the reopening of an award-winning charity shop, which has served the area for 35 years.

The Unicef shop at 32 High Road, Benfleet, is closing its doors after more than three decades opposite St Mary’s Church.

The charity is one of the last remaining shops at the rundown shopping parade and is moving further up the High Street.

Refurbishment work will then be carried out at the rundown shopping block by the landlord.

It will be the end of an era for the store and its forty tireless volunteers, who in one year alone, managed to raise more than £45,000 for the children’s charity.

Last year, it’s dedicated members were presented with the Best Fundraising Group award for the third year in a row to mark their hard efforts.

The charity will open its plush new shop at 221 High Road and is hoping the community will continue to rally to the cause by buying and bringing items for them to sell.

Diana Hawkins, of Glenegles, Benfleet, who volunteers for the charity, said: “We have been campaigning to stop the shops being rebuilt for some time because at the moment we are the only shop left and residents have always known us being here.

“But they are run down and thankfully we have found a nice new shop to move into so we are really excited about that.

“People have always known where we are now, but hopefully they will continue to visit us and turn out to celebrate our move.”

MP Rebecca Harris will open the new shop at 3pm on Tuesday, August 13.

Entertainment will be provided by the Essex Marching Corps and there will be a special auction of toy cars.

All profits collected from the stores goes directly to Unicef, a charity which works to protect and promote the rights of children around the world.

For more information on the new shop and the charity, call 01268 751514 or visit the website, www.unicef.org