A CHARITY shop has celebrated ten years of delivering help and support to those who most need it in the community.

The Lantern Charity Shop in Weymouth's Chapelhay opened in July 2005.

It was set up by Ian and Sue Walton and Pam Fry.

The proceeds of the shop have been directly put into the work of The Lantern Trust, which is tucked away on Ranelagh Road.

Identifiable by a lantern on the outside of the building, the project offers vulnerable people housing benefit advice, advocacy, debt management, and financial assistance with deposits.

To celebrate its tenth birthday, the shop's staff laid out cakes and coffees for its shoppers and community, inviting them in to toast to their milestone.

Mike Graham, the project manager of The Lantern, said that over the years the shop had celebrated many achievements including raising more than £100,000 for the Lantern Trust.

He said that she shop had originally been in a smaller unit on the same stretch of shops in Chapelhay.

Mr Graham said: “It started off as a small shop and we then out grew it.

“The shop is an extension of what The Lantern does which is helping people in need.

“It’s not just a shop where you come and buy things. It has been made into much more than that.

“Today is a celebration of all the hard work all the volunteers have done over the years."

Mr Graham added that he would like to thank all the volunteers who have helped in the shop during it’s time in Chapelhay

Pam Fry, 80, was one of the three who opened the shop in 2005 and has volunteered there ever since. She said that over the years people had been generous with their donations when using the facility.

She said that the shop receives visitors from all parts of the country and that as the shop does not advertise, she can only assume that the word travels by mouth from other customers.

She said: “I wouldn’t do anything else. It’s hard work but it’s so rewarding and the customers are so wonderful.

“The staff have been so good and worked so hard, they must get something out of it.

“People come from miles. They come from all over the place and because we’re so affordable people bring us their donations.

"I don't know how they hear about us because we don't advertise, people must talk about us."

Following on from their achievements, Mrs Fry said that the shop would continue to get stronger and stronger and hopes that they will be celebrating another ten years in the future.

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