Teen boutique opens inside charity shop

Young fashionistas Layla Mordle and Phoebe Davies are among the first to take advantage of a new ‘Teen Boutique’ which has opened in the Cancer Research UK shop in Midhurst.
Phoebe, Denise and Layla outside the Cancer Research shop in MidhurstPhoebe, Denise and Layla outside the Cancer Research shop in Midhurst
Phoebe, Denise and Layla outside the Cancer Research shop in Midhurst

The section within the high street charity shop fills a gap in the market for young people looking for low cost, sustainable fashion.

Layla, 11, daughter of shop manager Denise Mordle, and Phoebe, 23, daughter of assistant manager Bridget Davies modelled the bargains to show off the range of high street brands available at the shop.

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Denise re-opened the North Street shop last week – a miracle in itself as she survived a road crash during the last lockdown.

Phoebe and LaylaPhoebe and Layla
Phoebe and Layla

Denise, 38, and her husband Max, were on their way back from a supermarket trip when Max’s van was involved in a collision on the A286.

She said: “The crash was horrific. We’re lucky we got out alive. We were in Max’s van - if it had been a car, we may not have survived.”

Denise suffered severe whiplash, had neck and back injuries and was unable to stand for long. But thankfully, they are now both back at work.

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“I was pretty down in the dumps after the crash so I’m very glad to be back, both to return to the shop and give something back to the community again.”

Denise came up with the idea for the young people’s section after seeing so many of them with limited budgets, on the lookout for fashionable clothes from the brands they like.

“So I came up with the idea of a section specifically for them and added some funky wallpaper. On the day we opened, I’d never seen so many young people in here – they cleared me out!”

Layla and Phoebe are urging people in Sussex to help the county’s Cancer Research UK shops get back to the business of beating cancer now restrictions on non-essential retail have lifted.

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They are appealing for lockdown de-clutterers to dig out and drop off donations.

Denise is specifically calling for donations summer clothing ready for the Great British staycation – particularly for teenagers and young people.

She said: “COVID-19 has hit us hard. Our shops typically contribute more than £25 million each year to vital research, so we’re rallying the community to help us fight back.

“Right now, we need quality clothing and shoes, ideally for this season, as well as homeware, books and accessories to help keep our tills – and bargain hunters – busy. Most important of all, the sale of these items helps to ensure we can keep making progress for people with cancer.”

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Donated goods for the Midhurst shop can be dropped off from 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday. Shop staff recommend phoning ahead before visiting, as safety measures may mean that storage space is limited.

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