Grandparents whose family received care and support from EACH admitted being proud and honoured after opening its new boutique shop in Market Place, Southwold. They were joined by staff and volunteers at this morning’s official unveiling, and the shop is EACH’s 51st across East Anglia – and 15th in Suffolk.
The couple live in the town, and EACH is a charity close to their heart as grandson Cameron received end-of-life care from the team at The Nook, near Norwich. He passed away in October 2021, at 17 months old.
“Cameron’s mother and father, Gemma and Robert, received excellent support throughout and have nothing but praise for the wonderful care team at The Nook,” said Simon Flunder. “They provided support to the family in what was clearly a very emotional time – compounded by the pandemic – and we couldn’t be more grateful. That support was all-encompassing and very much included myself and my wife, as grandparents.
“Cameron was a very clever, spirited and brave little boy. He particularly loved his sessions with Music Therapist Jane Rous-Milligan. He was so well looked after by the team at EACH, as well as the medical professionals at Great Ormond Street Hospital, in London.”
Simon and wife, Josephine, attended the memory day at The Nook in 2023. Robert and Gemma now live in London and have a nine-month-old daughter, Sienna. Simon is Mayor of Southwold and looking forward to having an EACH shop in his hometown, having previously been a regular at the charity’s shop in Woodbridge.
“In my role as mayor, I’m always pleased to be asked to open new shops and buildings,” he said. “However, this one is very personal, and we are doing it as grandparents. It’ll be a very proud moment, and we were delighted to be asked. We like to support EACH, so it’ll be nice to have a shop here on our doorstep in Southwold.”
Anyone interested in volunteering at the new shop is welcome to pop in for a chat or email manager Lesley Williams-Frost via Lesley.Williams-Frost@each.org.uk
Meanwhile, trousers, surfer shorts, walking boots, a belt, beach shoes and friendship bracelets donated by music megastar Ed Sheeran were up for sale in Southwold. The sought-after goods were among an array of nearly 450 items that EACH has been selling via its eBay site since November. Every item was accompanied by a letter of authenticity, confirming they were donated by Ed.
