A DORCHESTER business is sharing the joy as it celebrates its 50th birthday.

The Domestic Appliance Centre is marking half a century of serving the community this year and has come up with a great way for the public and a local charity to benefit from the celebrations.

Generous prizes valuing over £4,000 have been donated from the Domestic Appliance Centre’s suppliers, including an 8kg Bosch washing machine, a Zanussi dishwasher, a Miele vacuum cleaner, a Hotpoint fridge/freezer, a Siemens tumble dryer and a food hamper.

Theses and plenty of other items will be up for grabs in a charity prize draw being run by the DAC that will raise funds for the Weldmar Hospicecare Trust.

Ian Barrett from the DAC said the company wanted to give something back to the community as it celebrated 50 years.

He said: “The community has been very loyal to us for 50 years and we wanted to give a bit back to celebrate our 50th birthday.

“We have got this great prize draw with all the prizes that have been donated by our suppliers.”

Mr Barrett said he could not speak highly enough of the suppliers that donated items for the draw and was looking forward to seeing Weldmar benefit from the initiative.

He said: “We have now got over £4,000 worth and every ticket will go to Weldmar.”

The DAC began life in July 1964 and was initially based in Cambridge Road in the county town.

After growing under the leadership of Mike Adams, one of the principal founding partners, and David Hooper, the company relocated to the Railway Triangle Industrial Estate on Poundury Road – where it continues to trade today.

The company is a member of Euronic, Europe’s largest electrical buying group. Tickets for the prize draw are now on sale at DAM’s Poundbury Road showroom and cost just £1 each.

They will also be on sale at the Weldmar Fete at the Joseph Weld Hospice on Saturday, September 13, where it is hoped local celebrity Martin Clunes will be able to draw the winning tickets on the company’s behalf.