There was dismay in Newmarket when Marks and Spencer closed its store in The Guineas last summer.

Now Saturday March 16 will see the long-awaited opening of the new B&M Newmarket store which is replacing M&S.

The new recruits were asked to nominate a local charity they think truly deserves some VIP treatment for the work they do for the local community.

They chose the team from Newmarket FC, who will be taking centre stage to officially unveil the new store, alongside the town mayor councillor Rachel Hood.

The club aims to highlight the values of teamwork and building relationships through sport. As well as their first team they have also have a youth team to encourage youngsters to get active.

In addition to opening the new store, the team will also receive £250 worth of B&M vouchers to go towards their work.

The store manager Aaron O’Neill said: “The team from Newmarket FC really stood out for us as they go the extra mile for local children in the community, we wanted to give them some VIP treatment as a thank you for all the hard work they do.

“We hope that our donation can help them to continue the great work they do.

“Our new colleagues have been working really hard to get the store ready for opening day, we can’t wait to get the doors open on Saturday and show customers their brand new B&M.”

The former M&S store has undergone a major internal and external refurbishment programme and created 40 new jobs for local people.

It follows hot on the heels of store openings in Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds, creating more than 120 jobs in the county.

There are other B&M stores across the county, including three at Ipswich.