STAFF and volunteers will celebrate 20 years of charitable work in the community with champagne and a visit from Redbridge’s new mayor.

The Cancer Research shop in George Lane, South Woodford, has raised thousands of pounds since it first opened its doors in 1992.

And on Friday (May 25) volunteers past and present will gather to celebrate.

Manager, Sharon Robinson, 56, has worked at the shop for 15 years.

She said: “Lots of the volunteers here have had families and friends affected by cancer .

“We hear some very sad stories. Sometimes families who have lost young children to cancer bring their clothes to us.

“They come from other areas because often they can’t face seeing their child’s clothes in the window of their local shop.

“But we also get to meet people who have come through the other side.”

The first 20 customers through the doors on Friday will get a glass of champagne to toast the anniversary.

There will also be a £3 discount for the first 20 people to spend more than £10 in the shop.

The shop’s longest serving volunteer Ursula Shanks, 66, will be helping out on the day.

She said: “I don’t know how much we have raised over the years, but it must be a lot.

“I have so many memories of my time here, but I suppose the one that stands out is when I saw a man stealing from the shop.

“I shouldn’t have with the medication I was on, but I just ran out of the shop after him.

“He was too quick but I flagged down a passing police car and they caught up with him.

“They brought him back to the shop and made him pay for what he’d stolen. It added up to £100.”

There will be plenty of bargains to choose from on Friday.

Mrs Robinson said: “We get all sorts of unusual donations.

“I once found a handgun wrapped in a bag of clothes. I couldn’t believe it.

“It was a bit scary and obviously we had to call the police in.

“On the lighter side, I still laugh when I remember the day one of gentlemen volunteers opened a bag of quite risqué underwear.

“His face got redder with every bra and pair of suspenders he pulled out.

“We had a good chuckle about that.”

The Cancer Research Shop will open its doors at 10am on Friday.

Click here to follow the Wanstead and Woodford Guardian on Twitter

Click here to follow the Wanstead and Woodford Guardian on Facebook