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Salvation Army to quit Church Road shop
The Salvation Army is planning to close its shop in Church Road, Addlestone, prompting fears for the future of its annual Christmas appeal.
Sally Anne's charity shop will close on Saturday December 6 after 20 years in the town, because too much work needs to be done to maintain the ageing building.
Although staff say the charity's Christmas Appeal, in which tins of food are collected and delivered to vulnerable people in Chertsey and Addlestone, is safe for this year, it cannot make any guarantees beyond the end of 2008.
The news has shocked customers, including Eileen Willson, 57, of School Lane, Addlestone, who said: "It's really worrying that the Christmas Appeal may not happen in the next few years, because its such an important part of local life.
"I just hope they manage to find some new premises, or find a way to carry on the collections in the coming years."
Another customer, Nigel Worth, 57, of Church Road, added: "It is very sad that the shop is closing after so long, but I really hope the Salvation Army can carry on their good work in the community.
"It is more than just a shop and I will be very sad to see it go."
The shop provides a valuable source of cheap household items and bric-a-brac, as well as second-hand furniture for the community. A lot of furniture is given away via referrals from the care agencies to people in need and on low incomes.
Volunteers at the shop have said that after the closure on December 6, the only donated items they will be accepting after that date will be tins for food packages to carry out the Christmas Appeal.
One of the volunteers said: "The shop is due to cease trading on December 6, but we are hoping to keep our tin-a-week project going, in which tins are collected from local schools and churches, and our outreach to the community will still stay the same at this point in time, although we cannot make any guarantees beyond this year.
"We are all very distressed about the closure because this place is more than just a shop. It is a community where people can drop in for a cup of tea, and it will be a sad loss for the town."
The shop will continue to try and sell the furniture, clothing and other stock that has already been donated, until the day it closes down, and staff will be looking for new shop premises.
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The Christmas Appeal at the Addlestone Salvation Army is not in doubt, this year or years to come. It is only the Charity Shop that is closing on its present site and much prayer is taking place by members of the Church as to where God is leading us. We hope another site will be found. The Tin-a-Week, Toy Appeal, Christmas Day Meal and Christmas parcels will continue this and following years. The people of Runneymede and Elmbridge and West Byfleet are extremely generous in their giving to our work and we say a big thank-you to them.
I hope the Sally Ann find another suitable site soon and that it is as interesting and as good for rummaging in as the one that is sadly closing - as your article says "it is more than just a shop"
The Salvation Army provides a wonderful service to many disadvantaged people and deserves all the support it can get