Students transform charity shop window for fundraiser

SHINE charity shop in Portchester was the scene of a fundraising event, as college students teamed up to create a personalised window display.
HELPING HANDS Students at Fareham College gave the Shine charity shop a makeover last weekHELPING HANDS Students at Fareham College gave the Shine charity shop a makeover last week
HELPING HANDS Students at Fareham College gave the Shine charity shop a makeover last week

The group from the Fareham College business studies course updated the shop and organised a prize draw to raise awareness for people living with the effects of spina bifida and hydrocephalus.

Shine is a support organisation actively engaging with nearly 75,000 individuals and this year they will be celebrating their 50th year.

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Charlotte Moore, a business student, said: ‘We’re dressing the window in Valentine’s Day theme, while raising money for Shine. It’s just helping out and giving back to the community.’

Shop assistant, Jacky Emery, said the event helps students and the public understand the needs of people living with the spine conditions.

She said: ‘The students bring out something new and fresh for our shop.

‘We’re hoping to make this a regular thing, so they can come down and do future events like Easter, mid-summers, all kinds of things, so that even when our local football team is playing they can show up and do a window display to match.’

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With every purchase customers received a ticket to a prize draw that offered Valentine’s Day gifts, such as flowers, chocolates and champagne.

Kieran Kenneth Carter, a 17-year-old student from Fareham, said: ‘We’re doing a lot of charity work for our course and I’m looking forward to the end result. I’m hoping that Shine can actually make a lot of money out of this event.’

Business course leader, Theresa Kemp, added: ‘The students get a week’s work placement, but it’s only for a week and they need to engage with a wider community.

‘We are working with Shine because it’s a charity which doesn’t have the funds that some of the bigger names have and maybe we can make a difference.

‘This is to broaden their horizon for a good cause and to come up with more creative ideas.’

For more information, visit shinecharity.org.uk/.