BRIDPORT’S tenth charity shop will be opening its doors shortly right in the heart of the town centre.

The Ferne Animal Sanctuary based in Chard is opening what will be its third shop in the area as a way to combat falling income, said deputy director Trish Gardner-Harper.

She said incomes from legacies and donations had been falling.

She added: “Charities as a whole are struggling to get funds for one reason or another so for the past couple of years Ferne have been looking at ways of being more self funding.”

New marketing manager Kevin Douglas introduced a new four-year marketing strategy which including opening shops as a way of increasing income.

The charity looked at Taunton, Yeovil, Axminster, Honiton and Bridport.

Mr Douglas said: “This one came up in Bridport and one in Taunton, and it is all about location with charity shops.

“We did a lot of research on Bridport. The more charity shops there are in a town the more successful it proves to be.

“The high streets are dying - the supermarkets are seeing to that, and these shops are just laying empty.”