Val Hulme currently has no problem finding the right outfit for the right occasion as she is investing in 60 bargains this year - thanks to a charity shop challenge.

Val, from Bromley Cross, is a regular volunteer at the Bolton Hospice shop in Astley Bridge, where she has volunteered for the past five years. So when she celebrated her 60th birthday in March she took the opportunity to raise awareness of the hospice’s vital work in an ongoing campaign. 

“I decided to buy 60 outfits from charity shops – mainly hospice shops – during my birthday year to show people what fantastic bargains you can get there. I’m a great believer in charity shops - at our hospice shop in Astley Bridge, we have wonderful donors who give us some amazing clothes and other items to sell. It’s also a brilliant way to recycle clothes.”

Val’s clever “haul” of outfits has so far included several smart dresses and jackets, trousers, tops, shoes and boots. She even constructed her own fascinator from three hats she bought from the hospice shop.

As well as boosting awareness of hospice wares, Val is also promoting the value of volunteering.

“We are very lucky to have some great volunteers. In our shop they are like a family to me and I’m always excited to come in  each Thursday to do a full day.

"Volunteering gives people company, a sense of purpose and friendships they might not otherwise make -all in a good cause.”

“Volunteering gives you so much back, and at the hospice we value every volunteer. The hospice does a fantastic job and needs every penny we can raise to keep its services going.”

Meanwhile, Val is regularly on the lookout for bargain outfits to wear out and about. And friends reckon she’s never looked so good!