Huge new Cancer Research UK store opening in Swindon
It will be officially opened by a young cancer patient
Last updated 1st Nov 2022
A young cancer patient will be cutting the ribbon to a brand new Cancer Research UK store in Swindon.
22-year-old Becky Bowes was diagnosed with stage three cancer not long after her 20th birthday, and has been invited to officially open the new shop at the Greenbridge Retail Park.
The superstore is one of the biggest Cancer Research shops in our region, with over 14,000 items of clothing, books and household items for sale. It's around five times the size of the charity's traditional stores.
Clothing, homeware, books, toys and electrical goods are all priced at £5 or less, with higher value items, such as furniture, identified with a golden ticket.
It is part of a plan to meet customer demand for more easily accessible Cancer Research stores, with plenty of parking.
Becky, who is opening the shop, says her road to recovery has been difficult. She was diagnosed at the start of lockdown in March 2020, meaning she had to be isolated from her family.
WATCH: Our reporter Matt Hutchinson speaks to key people at the grand opening
Becky says: "Having been diagnosed with thyroid cancer meant being treated on my own due to the pandemic and not being allowed to have anyone with me at hospital. But part of the treatment for thyroid cancer means having radioactive iodine, where I couldn’t be near anyone as it made my body radioactive.
"My energy levels are very low, and I don’t sleep very well at night, so I don’t feel very rested for much of the time.
“I still have small tumours on my lung, which my consultants are monitoring and I have to take a drug called levothyroxine for the rest of my life, as I no longer have a thyroid and it lowers the risk of cancer coming back".
More volunteers are needed to help run the new Swindon superstore. Flexible hours are available, and anyone interested is invited to visit the shop to find out more.
The site is open Monday to Saturday 9.30am until 6pm, and 10.30 am until 4.30pm on Sundays.
Donations of good-quality clothes, shoes, bags are now being accepted by the store.