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South Tipperary Hospice Movement (STHM) has launched a dedicated Children’s and Adolescents Grief Support Service for young people aged 4 to 18 who have experienced bereavement.
The new initiative, inspired by the Children’s Grief Centre, aims to ensure that no child, teen, or family in south Tipperary or west Waterford has to face grief alone. The need for such a service, which was set up in partnership with the Clonmel based company Camida, is clear. According to the Irish Childhood Bereavement Network (ICBN), over half of all children are bereaved of a parent, sibling, grandparent, or other close family member by the age of ten. Each year, approximately 30,000 people die in Ireland, impacting countless children and families. “Children are often the forgotten grievers in our communities. Their experience of loss can last a lifetime. Our vision is to ensure no child or young adult has to grieve alone. We offer a safe supportive place for them to talk about their unique experience and feelings,” said Eileen Cronin, board member of South Tipperary Hospice. The new service provides one-to-one sessions with experienced support workers, all trained in working with children, grief, and loss. ADDRESS FEARS The approach is based on the successful model of the Children’s Grief Centre in Limerick, focusing on helping children and young people better understand and normalise their feelings and address any fears so they may begin to heal. “We have reached out to all primary and post-primary schools in south Tipperary and west Waterford to inform them of this new service and it has been very warmly received. By engaging with schools and community groups, we hope to reach those who might otherwise struggle in silence,” said Eileen Cronin. The service is grounded in national best practice, drawing on the Irish Childhood Bereavement Care Pyramid. This framework, developed by the ICBN and supported by Tusla and the HSE, recognises that while most bereaved children can be supported within their families and communities, some require additional help, and a few need specialist intervention. The service is being introduced because the South Tipperary Hospice is of the belief that there is a demand for such a service, having examined how the grief centre in Limerick operates and how it has grown. “There is a significant demand for children’s grief support in Tipperary. While services like the Children’s Grief Centre in Limerick, Barnardos, Rainbows Ireland, and Anam Cara offer support, access can be limited by geography or waiting lists. The new STHM service aims to fill this gap locally, ensuring timely and accessible support for families in need. Grief is a journey, and with the right support, children can learn to live with their loss and move forward,” said Eileen Cronin. Hospice Board member Michael O’Loughlin, former Principal of the Presentation Secondary School in Clonmel, said the service would help a lot of families in south Tipperary and west Waterford. “This service will play a vital role in supporting young people and their emotional well-being when dealing with difficult circumstances in their lives.Primary schools face significant shortages of councillors, there is no counselling system for them and secondary schools are often unable to give that dedicated support due to other reasons. This support system will be of great benefit for many families and will help them access the help that is needed,” said Michael O’Loughlin. CAMIDA “For years Camida has provided wonderful support to worthwhile causes and everybody in the South Tipperary Hospice is delighted that the company is partnering with us on this initiative. We are grateful to Camida for supporting us in our endeavour to provide such an important service in the community,” said Sean O’Donovan, Chairman of South Tipperary Hospice. David Anchell, Chief Executive Officer of Camida, said the company was proud to be supporting the South Tipperary Hospice organisation in the new initiative and in the development of such a valuable support service for young people. TRAUMA “The impact of trauma on people in their lives is huge and the younger that person is the more impactful that trauma may be,” said David Anchell. He said it was very important that there are support services there to look after young people and help them when there is a bereavement in the family. “We are very happy to get behind the Hospice on this service. It should be of enormous support to young people and their families as they face difficult life challenges,” said David Anchell. He said that his company, although its business was not local, Camida received a huge flow of goodwill and support in Clonmel and the locality . The company, he said, wanted to contribute to the generation of that goodwill in the community and did so by supporting so many worthwhile causes. “Because the company is so involved in the community by supporting good causes it creates a very good spirit among our staff and everybody knows of the excellent work being carried out in the community by the Hospice and everybody associated with Camida is very pleased to give our support to South Tipperary Hospice,” said David Anchell. Referrals for the service can be made directly by parents by contacting South Tipperary Hospice Movement at 052 6127721 or email [email protected] The service is free and confidential. The introduction of the new service has been widely welcomed by leaders in education in Tipperary including Louise Tobin, Principal St Joseph’s Tipperary Town and former president of the Irish Primary Principals Network. “The work of the South Tipperary Hospice Movement in widening its services to help children and adolescents who have experienced bereavement will be a very valuable service in the south Tipperary area. “Children and young adults need help and coping strategies to manage grief after the loss of a loved one. I believe this well-researched and vital service will give the children of south Tipperary the support they need to understand the permanence of death and offer much-needed counselling and support to overcome feelings of anxiousness about their own and others health and safety. “Any help for our young people to support them in their daily lives is most welcome. I have no doubt that this support service will be much sought after and so beneficial for any child or young adolescent who sadly comes close to the reality of the death of a family member or loved one. “Well done to STHM for this initiative, putting the children and young people of Tipperary central to their great work,” said Louise Tobin.
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The range of services South Tipperary Hospice is providing is expanding all of the time.
The Children’s and Adolescents Grief Support Service is the most recent addition and one that the board members of South Tipperary Hospice have been working on for some time. It involved a number of visits by South Tipperary Hospice board members to Limerick to the Grief Support Centre to examine the successful model there. The service is now up and running at the South Tipperary Hospice offices on the quay and later this year it will have its own designated room in the new hopice headquarters further up the quay in the former Kamboat premises at Tower House. Jackie Fehily, Art Psychotherapist (MA), is running the new child and adolescent grief support service at South Tipperary Hospice. EXPERIENCE Jackie has over 10 years experience working in schools and community mental health, supporting children, adolescents, adults and families through bereavement, trauma, and emotional difficulties. SAFE SPACE “My work focuses on providing a safe and creative therapeutic space where young people can use creative art alongside gentle conversation to explore and express their feelings. Grief can be particularly challenging for children and teenagers, who often struggle to find the words to describe what they are feeling. Art Psychotherapy allows them to communicate and process emotions in a natural, non-verbal way, helping them to make sense of loss, build resilience, and develop healthy coping skills. This new service is an important addition to the Hospice’s bereavement support program, which also offers counseling for adults. It provides a much-needed, age-appropriate, compassionate care for young people in our community who are navigating grief. Referrals and enquiries are welcome from parents, schools, and healthcare professionals,” said Jackie Fehilly. VOLUNTEER DRIVERS The range of services now provided by the South Tipperary Hospice is growing all of the time. The charity began funding carers to provide personal care in the home to Hospice clients. The nurses and GPs identify the patients who require this help and the Hospice engages the carers through agencies. Another initiative involves a team of volunteer drivers who transport Hospice patients to healthcare appointments when they are unable to use public transport and do not have family or friends able to take them. The Hospice provides free complementary therapies such as Acupuncture, Reiki, reflexology and massage to patients who find them beneficial. MUSIC THERAPY Music therapy is also available and is provided by Joe Roche, a tenor singer and qualified music therapist. The Hospice also provides one-to-one counselling for patients and family members dealing with a terminal illness diagnosis and bereavement counselling. A bereavement support group is also running on a regular basis.
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A hugely successful Golf Classic in aid of South Tipperary Hospice Movement and Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams GAA Club was held recently. The Classic - which was run over three days from Wednesday, June 11 to Friday, June 13 had over 100 teams entered at the County Tipperary Golf and Country Club Course in Dundrum. Speaking after the event, Tommy Landers Chairman of the Kickhams GAA Club, thanked all who had come out and supported this the First Annual Golf Classic in conjunction with South Tipperary Hospice Movement. He said that the event had been a huge success and thanked all who contributed, either through playing, sponsoring or assisting with the organisation of the Classic. Concluding Mr Landers, also complimented the Greenkeepers and staff in the Golf Shop at County Tipperary Golf and Country Club and the Chef in ‘Burger Corner’ for all their help and support throughout the event. Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams GAA Club/South Tipperary Hospice Movement Golf Classic Winners: First Prize: 2 Nights in the Broadhaven Bay for 4 and 2 Rounds of golf in Cairn Links, Belmullet: Philip Bargary, Declan Lonergan, Stuart Perry and Finbar KellyTeam Score 53.2 2nd Prize: 4 Ping Golf Bags Sponsored by Joe Breen and Michael Ryan: Tony Farrell, Leonie Farrell, Eamon O’Dwyer and John Ryan(con) Team Score 53.5 Gross Prize: Qi10 Hybrids Sponsored by Joe Murray: Brian Slattery, Adam Buckley, Pat Ryan and Brian Webster. Team Score 58 3rd Prize: Taylor Made Wedges Sponsored by Joe Murray: Michael O’Connell, Brendan Brennan, John Houlihan, Gary Ivers . Team Score 54.1 4th Prize: Payntr Golf Shoes Sponsored by Clive Morrissey: Kay Crosse, Seanie O’Halloran, Catherine O’Halloran and Brian Landy. Team Score 54.8 Non GUI Prize: 4 Castore T-Shirts Sponsored by Robert O’Brien: Gilly Cavanagh, Mike Cavanagh, Liam Kiely and Barry Walsh. Team Score 57.8 Ladies Prize: 4 Addidas ½ Zip Tops Sponsored by Robert O’Brien: Patricia Walsh, Carmel Condon, Paula Spillane and Catherine Cooney. Team Score 61.1 (B9) 5th Prize: 4 Dozen Pro V1’s and Green Fee to Bunclody Golf Club: Declan Ryan, Olive Ryan, Packie Horan and Andrew Fryday. Team Score 55.4 6th Prize: 4 Dozen Srixon Golf Balls and Green Fees to Bunclody: Bob Duff, Bill Duff, Jamie Quigley and Brian McGrath. Team Score 55.9 7th Prize: 4 Dozen Taylor Made Golf Balls and Green Fees to Portarlington Golf Club: John Graves, Marie Graves, Paddy Fitzgerald and Aidan Murphy. Team Score 56.1 8th Prize: 4 Dozen Bridgestone Golf Balls and Green fees to Portarlington Golf Club: Darren Heuston, Mickey O’Halloran, Ben Carey and Paddy Kennedy. Team Score 56.2 9th Prize: 4 Dozen Srixon Golf Balls and Green fees to Gowran Park: Noel McGuire, Niall Griffey, Stephen Griffey and Kevin Griffey. Team Score 56.4 Course Prizes Longest Drives: Ping Golf Umbrella: Men's: Derek Hayes. Ladies: Claire Ryan 3rd Tee Box: Motocaddy S1 Electric Trolley Sponsored by Adrian O’Dwyer and Joe Murray: Brian Slattery 6th Tee Box: Co. Tipperary Golf Club Membership Sponsored by Tipperary Golf Club: Patricia Walsh 12th Tee Box: Golf Wedge Sponsored by Aidan Murphy: Bill Duff Raffle
A raffle was also held on the final night of the Golf Classic and the Prize winners in this were as follows: 1st Prize: €500 Super Valu Voucher: Daniel Lonergan. 2nd Prize: Night for 2 including Dinner in the Pembrooke Hotel, Kilkenny: Martin Daly 3rd Prize: Night for a family of 4( 2 Adults and 2 children) in the Pilo Hotel plus Passes to Emerald Park: Marie and John Farrell 4th Prize: Irish Rugby jersey signed by CJ Stander: Mairead Fogarty 5th Prize: Munster Jersey signed by Munster Panel: Cllr. Declan Burgess 6th Prize: Sun Mountain Golf Bag: Elena Slattery 7th Prize: Odyssey Putter: Mary Griffey 8th Prize: Hamper of Jam: Bernie Bergin 9th Prize: Kirbys Pharmacy Hamper: Evellyn Murphy c/o Eamonn Murphy 10th Prize: Mister Mister Voucher: Larry Roche
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A popular fundraiser for the South Tipperary Hospice will take place in October.
The event, now being staged for the 12th time, is a hugely popular event and it guarantees a full house at the Hotel Minella where the event takes place. The Music from Stage and Screen show will take place on Friday, October 31 at Hotel Minella which has staged some memorable concerts for the Hospice over the years. The concert will feature the Clonmel Concert Band, c conducted by Danny Carroll, with special guests Joe rRoche, Polly Roche, Andrea Ruth Houlihan and Emmet Donlan and the compere will be Niall Carroll from Lyric FM. “It has always been a very good night’s entertainment and very well supported and we are very grateful for the fantastic support given to the concert for many years at Hotel Minella and we appreciate the support of John and Liz and the Nallen family, said STH board chairman Sean O’Donovan. The chairman explained that the fundraiser was always a very important event to raise awareness about the important work being carried out in supporting so many families throughout south Tipperary and generating funds to maintain and develop those services. SUPPORT South Tipperary Hospice provides practical support for people and their families dealing with life-limiting health conditions. The provision of healthcare assistants in the home, a volunteer driving scheme to enable people to meet hospital appointments, holistic therapies, music therapy, recording a person's life story for a family memento, counselling, a bereavement support group, and a children's grief support service are among the services provided. The children’s grief support service is a new addition to the range of services provided by South Tipperary Hospice. Based on a model used by a Limerick hospice centre where there is a months long waiting list, the childrens grief support service is seen as a very important addition. “We are rolling that service out now to primary and secondary school pupils who need support after a bereavement in the family. The service has been welcomed by school leaders and we expect there to be a big demand for the service in this area;. As a group, we are very happy to be able to offer this badly needed resource and we would like people who find themselves in this very difficult position to avail of it,” said Sean O’Donovan. “The people having to cope with life-limiting illness and their families are our number one priority and we want to do all we can to offer our support through the generosity of so many communities throughout south Tipperary,” said STHM Chairman Sean O’Donovan. He thanked the organising committee of the concert which includes Ruth Butler, Danny Carroll, Michael Kiely, Gail McGrath, Nicola Normyle,Anglea Keaveney and the members of the Clonmel Hospice Support Group who are involved every year. Tickets for the show are €25 and are available at the STH office on The Quay in Clonmel, Eldon’s and at Hotel Minella. They are also available on the gr8events website.
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It was a night full of emotion and pride at the Bridge House in Golden as the inspiration behind an incredible fundraiser were two much loved members of communities that passed away after their own battle with cancer. The funds were raised by the biggest ever tractor run held in Tipperary on New Year’s Day when 436 tractors took part from all over the country. Members of the Prendergast and Morrissey families who suffered a profound loss with the passing of Tommy Prendergast and Melissa Morrissey, were incredibly proud that the fundraiser will help so many people in the future as they face a battle with cancer. “The support for this fundraiser was just jaw-dropping.People were incredible, just out of this world,” said Michael Cunningham of Dualla Ploughing Association who organised the event in memory of Tommy Prendergast and Melissa Morrissey. The Dualla Ploughing Association has regularly carried out fundraisers for South Tipperary Hospice for decades and they were approached by the Prendergast family who wanted to support the charity. TOMMY PRENDERGAST “Tommy Prendergast was a member of Poulmucka Ploughing and he was known all over the country. “Melissa Morrissey was from Dualla and we decided to do the tractor run in memory of both of them,” said Michael Cunningham. “This fundraiser was a fitting tribute to both Tommy and Melissa who both passed away with cancer. “To lose two people so highly thought of in their own communities was a huge blow to people and we had to do something,” said Michael. Michael said there was a massive team involved in the organisation of the tractor run and every one of them deserved enormous credit. He was very proud to hand over cheques of just over €36,000 to both the Irish Cancer Society and the South Tipperary Hospice on the night. The Dualla Ploughing Association has been raising funds for South Tipperary Hospice for many years and had raised €17,000 earlier in 2024 for the charity. Sean O’Donovan, Chairman of South Tipperary Hospice said they were very humbled to see the level of support for the charity at the handover of the cheques in Golden. “The tractor run was an incredible community effort with so many people involved. The Dualla Ploughing Association have been long-standing fundraisers for the charity and everybody in the Hospice greatly appreciates their dedication and commitment to the charity,” he said. He paid tribute to the two families who lost a loved one and said the funds that would go to the South Tipperary Hospice would help so many families. Sean O’Donovan told the huge crowd in Golden that South Tipperary Hospice was in the process of introducing new services to help people and their families take on an enormous challenge at a very difficult time in their lives. “These funds will enable us to provide good services and support for people and their families from the moment they receive an unexpected diagnosis,” he said. Mary Prendergast, wife of the late Tommy Prendergast, said the tractor run was a great tribute to Tommy and Melissa. “Tommy was always there for people. He was known all over the country in farming and contracting circles, he was a great supporter of local community organisations and fundraising events, generous with his time and knowledge and was always available to help anyone. We were blown away by the support of people on the day and by the amazing generosity shown by so many people,” said Mary. MELISSA MORRISSEY Evan Morrissey, a brother of Melissa, said everybody involved was very appreciative of the massive support shown by the people of Tipperary for the tractor run. He hoped that the funds would support the research taking place into the causes of cancer and it was the wish of his family that the funds would be spent towards finding an answer to prevent the disease. “Melissa was part of the Dualla community. She went into hospital on the day of her 40th birthday and died the next day. We don’t want to see any family going through what our family had to go through and we are so pleased that these funds will support crucial research into the disease,” said Evan Morrissey.
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Enriching the quality of the lives of a person with a serious illness and their loved ones is the aim of an innovative new service being introduced by South Tipperary Hospice.
The Hospice, whose offices are in Clonmel, is in the process of introducing a range of new services in addition to the services they have delivered for decades. It is now offering a music therapy service which they are hoping will be availed of by the people of south Tipperary. There is a great desire among the volunteers involved with the South Tipperary Hospice to add new services that will bring a meaningful and practical benefit to people who encounter serious life-limiting illnesses. A number of people are already enjoying the new music therapy service and it is being delivered by a Clonmel man who has a powerful belief in the potential of music therapy to enhance people's lives. Joe Roche is passionate about helping people discover how connecting with music can be beneficial for them in so many ways. He is at pains to stress that people who avail of music therapy through South Tipperary Hospice do not need to have a background in music. “Basically music therapy uses music and music-based activity to meet non-musical goals,” said Joe. Joe, a former Clonmel High School student who worked as a professional tenor in Wales, said music therapy can open up so many positive emotions for the person receiving the service and can also open up communication with family members. “The music is a bridge to making the person facing serious illness feel good about themselves, feel good about what they have done during their lifetime, and help them stay positive during a challenging time in their lives,” said Joe Roche. The music therapy sessions are given at a pace to suit the person involved and will go in the direction that allows the person to get the best out of the sessions. “The service is focussed on improving the quality of life of people.It is important for me to build a level of trust, comfort, and confidentiality with the person and create an environment for it to work for that person,” said Joe. “ We all have big moments in our lives that can be linked to a special song or a piece of music. These pieces of music are very personal and can trigger emotions, they can transport people back to a happy time in their lives. Hearing songs they danced to as a teenager could bring so much joy to their life in this difficult moment. So too could the music they associate with meeting the person they went on to spend the rest of their lives with, their wedding day, the birth of a son or a daughter, or a memorable holiday,” said Joe Roche. “There is a sense of musical autobiography about it, it gives people the tools and opportunity to review their lives in a positive way. The music linked to a special moment in their lives will help them remember events, enable them to reminisce and tell stories and speak about moments that were very special to them,” he said. Joe said such interaction would allow the person to remember milestone moments in their lives, would allow the person to think about the meaning of their life and their achievements, and even in some cases allow them to reflect on and speak about regrets they might have. “Something from the past could be troubling them and they might welcome a chance to discuss it and all of that can be processed as well if the person is comfortable to do it as it may bring them peace with their thoughts. It brings a release for people, a catharsis about something that could have been bothering them for some time,” he said. The sessions can also be opened up to other members of the family if the person availing of the service wants to do that. “When families are going through a challenging time sometimes the right words can be difficult to come by. The use of music can help existing relationships with loved ones and create an environment that allows people to express how they feel. Music can help them find a way of saying something they might want to say,” said Joe. Joe strongly believes that engaging in such activity can greatly benefit people facing a serious life-limiting illness. “Music therapy is about improving quality of life, hopefully bringing support and relief from chronic pain, depression, and release of pent-up emotion. People are trying to figure out how to talk and music can help them find a way and hopefully will lead to inner peace, contentment, and relief,” said Joe. If people facing serious life-limiting illness feel the music therapy would suit them they could say it to the palliative care nurses or their GP or give Hospice staff Terry or Jennie a call at the South Tipperary Hospice office on The Quay in Clonmel (052 6127721) Sean O’Donovan, Chairman of South Tipperary Hospice said they were delighted to introduce the music therapy as an addition to the broad range of services already being delivered. He said it was about offering people practical support in a meaningful way in their lives and he hoped the music therapy would bring some happiness and joy to people facing serious life-limiting illness and their families. The Hospice chairman said the Hospice would be rolling out more new services during the year in addition to the volunteer drivers service, providing care assistants, offering professional counselling and bereavement service and complimentary therapies. STHM is providing financial assistance to two level two palliative care projects in Tipperary Town and Clonmel. A unit in Cluain Aran in Tipperary with two level two palliative care beds is being upgraded and STHM is providing financial support and backing for the project. The group is also providing financial support for the provision of three-level two palliative care beds at St Anthony’s in Clonmel.
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Biddy Ryan is a person who epitomises what teamwork means and has put the concept of a collective approach into practice all of her life.
Best known for her lifelong commitment to the promotion of ladies gaelic football throughout Tipperary and at national level, Biddy is also a leader of a very successful enterprise in another fine example of a unified approach achieving great goals. The Ardfinnan woman is the inspiration behind the second-hand clothes South Tipperary Hospice Shop that operates in Cahir and is a crucial source of revenue for the Hospice movement. Teamwork and volunteering has been at the heart of her life for many decades marked by her decision to establish the Ardfinnan Ladies Gaelic Football Club, her influential role in the formation of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association in the country in 1974 and her massive commitment to the LGFA in Tipperary where she has served with distinction in every officer role. She brought all of that life experience and belief in teamwork to the table when she decided to set up a charity shop for the South Tipperary Hospice four years ago in Cahir. There are now up to twenty volunteers involved in running the successful retail operation which last year, after meeting all running costs, raised a stunning €37,000 for the South Tipperary Hospice. The idea to establish the shop in Cahir came about through her work with the Tipperary Ladies Gaelic Football Association, an organisation that provides great support to the cause. She used to organise an occasional second-hand clothes fundraiser event for ladies football, but the quality and volume of clothes that were being offered to her made her believe that there was an opening for a full-time operation. Biddy decided at that point to set up the shop and sell the clothes exclusively to raise funds for South Tipperary Hospice. “The amount of clothes we were being given was just too big to cope with. I had them stored in a spare bedroom, and the clothes were too good to recycle, so I decided to open a shop and give all of the proceeds to the South Tipperary Hospice, who do incredible work in communities all over the county. It was local and it was a most deserving cause, every family appreciates the work they do,” said Biddy Ryan. Biddy said the idea just took off and she was very grateful to so many people for their support over the years. In particular, she said, the support and interest shown by David Anchell of Camida in the early years ensured that the shop survived. “At the start, my daughter backed me up as well as did my daughter-in-law. There were not too many volunteers at first, but they started to come in, and once it got going, it was like the volunteers fell from heaven. Now we have about twenty volunteers, which means that nobody has to do too much, possibly a half day a week each,” said Biddy. It is now a thriving retail outlet that is busy six days a week all year round. “In 2024 we made €37,000 for South Tipperary Hospice after paying our rent, rates and electricity, it is a lot of money when you think that in only comes in in €2,€3 or €5 for each transaction,,” said Biddy. The shop sells second-hand ladies, mens and childrens clothes, small pieces of furniture and toys. “A lot of people just drop in in the hope of getting a bargain but most people come in because they want to support South Tipperary Hospice as the charity would have helped out their family or somebody they knew,” said Biddy. She said that all of the volunteers have a great awareness of the good work being carried out by South Tipperary Hospice in communities and appreciated how supportive they were to so many people. “That is a great motivation for us all, we know our efforts are helping South Tipperary Hospice provide valuable services to help a lot of families. That is what keeps us going. We have a great team and we have a few social outings together as well during the year,” said Biddy. “We are in a great position in the town. We could do with more space. Friday and Saturday are the busiest days. We get tourists coming in for a look as they are walking around the town. All of the volunteers involved are women and we all love being part of it. It is great for us to meet people every day. I love clothes and it is exciting to see what is in the bags that people bring in. You never know what you are going to find and you take out the piece of clothing and you immediately start to think what you will get for it,” said Biddy. |



















