When Marks and Spencer in Wrexham’s busy Eagles Meadow were looking for a ‘celebrity’ to re-open the store after a major re-fit they chose a volunteer from the local charity they have supported for years.
That meant Eve Tilston, Volunteer Co-ordinator for the Clwyd Special Riding Centre, at Llanfynydd, had the honour of cutting the ribbon and declaring the revamped store open for business.
M&S Store Manager Deborah Hitchen was delighted to invite Eve Tilston along and she said: “For many years, as a store, we have supported Llanfynydd’s Clwyd Special Riding Centre’s so it seemed only right to invite Eve along to cut the ribbon and declare the store open again following our refit.
“We are thrilled with the work that has been done to give us a smart new look and with new signage and with all our staff in smart new uniforms, the store has a lovely welcoming feel to it.
“I’m sure our regular loyal customers will really notice the difference and appreciate the effort that has gone into giving the store a more modern and bright new feel.”
Eve Tilston said she was thrilled to be asked to carry out the re-opening duties and added: “M&S here at Eagles Meadow have been so supportive ever since they opened the store four years ago.
“Staff really go out of their way to help and even raised £2,000 to buy a horse, Charlie, a few years ago. Charlie is still working with us on a daily basis today and is a lovely gentle horse.
“We are invited into the M&S store here at Eagles Meadow twice a year to fundraise and can raise as much as £5,000 in a week.
“We spend a week at Easter and a week at Christmas in store bag packing in the food hall and generally helping out, clearing tables, in the café.
“The Wrexham public are incredibly generous and the money we raise can cover our running costs for a week, that’s how important M&S at Eagles Meadow are to us as a charity.”
Kevin Critchley, Manager of Eagles Meadow Shopping Centre, said: “We’re delighted to have M&S back in full swing and looking better than ever.
“They’re such an iconic name and such an important part of the Centre and hats off to them for their support for Riding for the Disabled and for choosing Eve to do the re-opening honours.”
Eve emphasised how important M&S’s support is at Eagles Meadow: “We really need all the help we can get at the present time. We have suffered really badly with the recent snow which has damaged stables and meant we have to cancel sessions.
“We are a unique charity offering riding, carriage driving and equestrian vaulting, which is gymnastics on horse back, for disabled children and adults. And we have holiday accommodation too.
“Of course running a venture and a charity such as Clwyd Special Riding Centre is expensive and we rely on the generosity of the public to continue providing the service that we do.
“And no one has been more generous than M&S staff and customers here at Eagles Meadow. It was lovely to be invited to cut the ribbon and declare the shop open after its refit and to celebrate with a glass of Buck’s Fizz.”
The new-look store now also has instant online access to the entire range of M&S goods and store manager Deborah added: “We now have three members of staff who carry an iPad with them around the shop floor.
“As we don’t carry every item that’s available in our bigger stores customers can now order items which, if ordered by noon, will be available for collection here in Wrexham by noon the following day.”
