WESTBURY’S Air Ambulance shop has a new manager – Dot Whitehead’s granddaughter Carrie Aldous.
Dot was devoted to the shop she set up 15 years ago, raising over £1.7million for the appeal. Dot died at the end of last year at the age of 81.
Now, her granddaughter Carrie has been appointed as the Maristow Street shop’s new manager, and says she is determined to carry on Dot’s legacy. Carrie, who was born and bred in Westbury, will already be a familiar face to many as she has been helping in the shop over the past few months.
Carrie explained, “I took over the banking after nan died. There was a meeting with the Air Ambulance as to whether the shop was going to shut, and they said no. I was asked if I would carry on and take over the management.”
The shop is also served by a dedicated group of volunteers, and is always on the look out for new helpers. The shop continues to welcome donations including clothes in any condition, bric-a-brac, and children’s toys.
Carrie says she is working on a few modern twists – such as a Facebook page and a website and internet account for the shop – but the spirit of the shop will stay the same. “There will be a few changes, but in general we’ll try and carry on as nan did.”
The shop is open 9.00am-4.30pm Monday to Saturday. It is the only shop in the county dedicated to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance. You can find the shop on Facebook by searching for “Wiltshire Air Ambulance Westbury Shop.”
