St Helena Hospice has opened a new shop and clothes agency in Dedham High Street.

St Helena offers care for people with life-limiting illnesses in Colchester and north Essex.

It has its inpatient facility in Colchester and two day centres, in Colchester and Clacton.

There is also home care, provided by the hospice nurse specialist and the home care team.

Number 5, as it will be known, will feature a clothes agency upstairs. The agency invites customers to bring in good quality clothing and accessories they would like the hospice to sell on their behalf, with a proportion of the sale being donated to St Helena Hospice.

The high street shop, the first charity outlet to open in Dedham, will also be stocked with a wide selection of goods including clothes, toys, and bric-a-brac.

The shop which has had a variety of uses, has been let by Palmer & Partners.

The shop will be open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm and will be open on Sundays during the summer season. For more information on Number 5, call the retail team on 01206 323784.

Claire Cook, Hospice retail manager said: “The opening was a great success and we’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who visited over the first weekend. We feel privileged to be the first charity shop to open its doors in the local community. We’re particularly excited about running our first clothing agency, as this is a really fun and imaginative way to raise vital funds for patient care.”