Cutting the ribbon together to officially open the store were the newly crowned Miss Northern Ireland, Carly Wilson, and new Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Councillor Oliver McMullan. The Mayor also chose the occasion to announce that he has picked NI Children鈥檚 Hospice as his charity of the year. Also present to welcome customers through the door at Main Street were Philip McGuigan MLA, Chair of the Health Committee at Stormont and local hero and sports commentator, Liam Beckett. Alan Kennedy, NI Hospice鈥檚 Head of Retail, said: 鈥淭his isn鈥檛 just a refurbishment of the previous shop or a mere relocation, it is a total upgrade to a larger site that sees a significant advancement of Hospice鈥檚 retail offering in Ballymoney. 鈥淭he new store is bigger and better than ever, which is great news both for those who local customers support us, and especially for those patients and their families whom we support with our specialist palliative care. 鈥淚n the past year alone, Hospice provided care to 325 adults from the Ballymoney area 鈥 both at home and in the In-Patient Unit at Somerton House 鈥 as well as supported 20 local children and their families, who spent a total of 82 nights at Horizon House, the Children鈥檚 Hospice. 鈥淓very visit to this new Hospice Shop in Ballymoney with help us raise vital funds for those local families.鈥 Ballymoney Hospice Shop Manager Emma Harris said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e delighted to open our new Ballymoney shop, which has been thoughtfully designed to offer a bright, welcoming, and modern shopping experience. “Shoppers can expect a carefully curated selection of pre-loved fashion, one-of-a-kind homewares, and hidden treasures 鈥 all supporting a more sustainable way to shop. 鈥淟ocated right in the heart of Ballymoney, our shop is easy to access for local supporters, whether you鈥檙e popping in to browse, donate items, or just say hello. “Community involvement is absolutely vital to our work 鈥 every donated item and every purchase directly supports Hospice care for people living with life-limiting conditions in the local area. 鈥淭he shop wouldn鈥檛 be possible without our fantastic team of volunteers, who are the driving force behind everything we do. We鈥檙e currently looking for more volunteers to join our friendly team, so if you have a few hours to spare each week, we鈥檇 love to welcome you on board.鈥 Visit the NI Hospice shop at 65 Main Street, Ballymoney, BT53 6AN. For more information about making a donation of pre-loved quality goods or becoming a Ballymoney shop volunteer, call 028 2766 5471 or visit nihospice.org/shopvolunteers.