Shop volunteer makes lavender bags in wife’s memory

A volunteer who works in the St Wilfrid’s Hospice shop in Seaford has raised more than £700 by making lavender bags in memory of his wife.

Bob Kingdom started volunteering at the shop four years ago to give him something to do after wife Molly died. As Molly loved the smell and beauty of lavender, keen gardener Bob decided to bag up the lavender from his garden to raise money for the hospice.

Since then, he has produced 350 bags, which have been named ‘Molly’s English Lavender’, and have proved to be very popular, selling out quickly.

Bob can turn his hand to lots of different tasks, from mending donated watches, to making Christmas trees out of driftwood to sell in the shop. He said: “Volunteering at the Seaford shop once a week is a sanctuary for me. It gets me out meeting people and we have a laugh. I look forward to my afternoon there.”

Shop Manager, Carla Foster, said: “We’d like to say a big thank you to Bob and the community garden volunteer who helped him with the lavender this year. We’re selling more of these lovely little lavender bags every year and they are very popular. It gives the shop a lovely aroma and customers love the smell as they walk in.

“Bob’s an unsung hero - he does odd jobs and the heavy lifting I’m unable to do. And he does so much behind the scenes, I’d be lost without him,” Carla added.

St Wilfrid’s Hospice provides high-quality care and support for people across Eastbourne, Seaford, Hailsham, Uckfield, Heathfield (and all points between) with life-limiting illnesses.