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Community

31 July, 2024

Business as usual for TOPS

IT is business as usual for Timboon Opportunity Shop (TOPS) volunteers, with news the shop building is up for sale.


Keeping positive: While the TOPS shop premises might be for sale, TOPS secretary/treasurer Louise Blair and TOPS co-ordinator Brenda Parfett said it was business as usual for the popular shop.
Keeping positive: While the TOPS shop premises might be for sale, TOPS secretary/treasurer Louise Blair and TOPS co-ordinator Brenda Parfett said it was business as usual for the popular shop.

TOPS co-ordinator Brenda Parfett said she wanted to assure the community the shop was not closing.

She said while the shop and shed TOPS utilised was for sale, there were no plans to move just yet.

Mrs Parfett said the news had come as a shock to volunteers.

“The volunteers are the lifeblood of this shop and they are all hurting and sad,” she said.

“It’s a shock to them and to all of us.

“We would like to stay where we are depending on who buys it.”

Mrs Parfett said TOPS started in 2011 under the umbrella of Timboon and District Healthcare Service and was now completely independent.

Since November 2023, the shop has donated close to $100,000 to a variety of community groups.

Mrs Parfett said the community support would not be possible without the dedication of volunteers as well as those who donate items to sell and purchase from the shop.

“We have a lot of customers coming back again and again,” she said.

“We get a lot of compliments on the shop.

“We are really grateful for the donations from the community; without them we wouldn’t have a shop.”

Mrs Parfett said while the shop was up for sale, it would continue to be business as usual for volunteers.

“We are grateful for the rent-free premises over so many years and we thank Les – the owner of the property – for his support,” she said.

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