Winchester funeral director saves day answering storage appeal

A Winchester funeral director answered a plea from a local newspaper to ensure a charity shop can continue trading its Christmas cards.

Richard Steel and Partners saved the day by offering Winchester Combined Charities’ Christmas card shop free storage at its base, after reading about the charity’s ill fortune in local newspaper the Hampshire Chronicle.

The charity works out of the premises throughout November and December, but needs space to store its seven large wooden stands for the rest of the year, and having now lost its stockrooms to redevelopment plans, it had feared the worst.

Charity co-ordinator Pam Chrismas said the result was “wonderful”, adding: “As a result of reading the article in the Chronicle, Steels came into our shop and offered us space. We are so grateful to the Chronicle for the help.”

Iain Steel, director of Richard Steel and Partners, said: “We saw it in the paper and we have space in our Chesil Street premises and were happy to help out. “The storeroom is safe and secure and only a short distance away from where they sell the cards, so the charity doesn’t have to worry.”