Worthing shop has closed down - This is why

DEBRA UK has announced the ‘difficult decision to close our shop’ in the Guildbourne Centre, Worthing.

The closure of this store means the charity has four Sussex branches remaining – in Crawley, Bognor Regis, Portslade and Brighton.

The shop sells an array of donated items, including clothes, shoes and bric-a-brac to raise money for medical research into painful genetic skin blistering condition Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) – to benefit those living with the disease and their families.

The charity said the ‘vitally important’ shops also enable health experts to conduct ‘potentially life-changing research’ into future treatments that ‘could help stop the pain of EB’.

A charity spokesperson added: “Every DEBRA store needs to play its part and so we constantly review the performance of our network of shops located throughout England and Scotland to ensure they are profitable.

"Occasionally the nature of the location may prevent this though, whether that is due to the competitor set, the level of donations we receive, or other factors such as the running costs of the shop.

“In this instance we had to make the difficult decision to close our shop in Worthing however we continue to grow the retail estate in other areas of the UK, and we’re pleased to be able to continue to serve the customers of Sussex.

"We would like to thank the staff, volunteers, and customers in Worthing for their support and commitment over the years and for the vital contribution they have made to improving quality of life for people living with EB.”