A VOLUNTEER-RUN fancy dress shop in Burnham is looking for a new home.
The Fancy Dress Box, which is currently housed in an outdoor cabin in the car park of the Ormiston Rivers Academy, will need to relocate once the school undergoes a multimillion-pound redevelopment next year.
The stock, which includes 1,500 costumes and hundreds of hats and pairs of shoes, is rented out to raise funds for the town's carnival.
John Randall, who has run the shop with his wife Marlene for seven years, said: "As I'm a member of the carnival committee, I got involved with running the shop.
"All proceeds from renting out the costumes are put straight into funding the carnival and all the money raised by the carnival is distributed to local charities, so it is very important to us.
"As the school is going to get a revamp next year, it is very likely that we're going to need a new home.
"They let us have the space for free and the school haven't told us to get out.
"But as we're in a portable building we think it'll probably get demolished," he added.
But 70-year-old Mr Randall is hoping someone will come forward and help before then.
He said: "We have a lot of period costumes and we're a favourite with local drama groups or if children are having book days at school.
"Some people can spend hours looking through the stock as we've got so much.
"We're quite lucky with the space we've got at the moment because it's quite large but we are only open on a Saturday from 10am till 1pm, so if someone could spare us a space it would be great.
"Over the last six or seven years we've raised about £11,000 for the carnival and our costumes only cost £5 to rent for a week.
"The shop is important to the community and we hope we can find a new home."
If you can help the Fancy Dress Box find a new site, contact John Randall on 01621 783134 or e-mail randalls59@ btinternet.com
