BURY Hospice will open its new women’s clothes shop in the Mill Gate shopping centre this weekend.

Shoppers will be able to browse the hospice’s new outlet from 10am on Saturday at the centre in Minden Parade. The shop is the charity’s first ever ladieswear boutique and will be stocking lots of party frocks for the festive season.

In another fundraising push the hospice is hoping people will don their Christmas best – or worst – to help fund the cause tomorrow. The centre in Rochdale Old Road is asking companies to allow their staff to commit their “annual crime of fashion” by wearing their biggest, brightest and fluffiest Christmas jumpers, donating £1 for the privilege.

And hospice IT and administration assistant Ashley Tomlinson along with administration support worker Mary Franklin, pictured, were only too pleased to show off their Christmas woollies to get the campaign rolling.

Elsewhere, former firefighters and company owners have also volunteered to help Bury Hospice’s Christmas tree collection. Ex-firemen Kev Talbot, Rick Warburton Tony Burke, Kev Barrow, Ian Holt, Steve Swift, Andy Davidson and Phil Peel will be collecting the disused trees on the January 6 to 8. Rob Howell, who owns Parcelfast in Skegness Close, Bury, will drive one of his own vans, as will Darren Fletcher of Lostock Installations in Barcroft Street, to collect the trees.

Then Gordon Hamilton, from Bespoke Landscaping in Ramsbottom, will be shredding the trees. All of them are volunteering and giving their time and expertise for free. Mr Hamilton said: “I want to help because I can – I have got the facilities and it’s only my time I am giving up and I am more than happy to do that.”

Kev Talbot said: “So many volunteers at the hospice give up so much time all year around so it’s not hardship for us to do it once a year.”

To get your Christmas tree collected for a donation to the hospice, or for more information on any of Bury Hospice’s campaigns or events, go to www.buryhospice.org.uk or call 0161 7971748.