People from all walks of life pass through the doors of The Samaritans charity shop in Worthing – from young mums to pensioners and many of them have been regulars for some years.
But one face that has been a constant for a quarter of a century belongs to 85-year-old Bobby Hitchin who has been behind the counter since the shop’s early days.
Bobby recalled how she had been a Friend of The Samaritans for some while during her working life as a District Nursing Assistant and had joined some ad hoc fundraising events. Then, when she retired at age 60, she decided she had enough time to give more hands-on support and joined the team in the Strand Parade, Durrington shop.
“In 25 years, I have seen many people come and go in the shop but one constant is the support we have from the local community. We never refuse donations and we receive so much. We have regular customers who treat the shop as part of the local community; the prices here help them cope with high cost of living; some come in to support us because they may have used the Samaritans listening service, some who are just a bit lonely and come in for a chat, knowing they will always be made welcome. We provide a service for lonely people but always direct them to the listening service if they want a really in depth talk.”
Bobby walks to the shop from her home in Goring and said she has no plans to retire. “I love working here, it is a very happy place, with lovely people who work here and shop here. I love meeting people and as long as I have the energy to walk over the bridge to get here, I’m staying!”
Shop Manager Jo Loader planned to pay tribute to Bobby’s long service with a celebration of her 25th anniversary on April 2.
Anyone interested in joining the happy team at the shop for a few hours each week is invited to contact Jo on 01903 507200.