A team of volunteers led by a Willmott Dixon management trainee have transformed two top-performing charity shops in Royal Tunbridge Wells.
Holly Falzon, now Assistant Project Manager with Willmott Dixon, partnered with charity Hospice in the Weald to refurbish two retail spaces that had gone over 20 years without renovation. These shops help the hospice raise the £9 million it needs annually, having sold 1.68 million items last year.
The project was part of the Willmott Dixon Trainee Challenge, where trainees receive £500 seed funding to lead a community project aligned with our Now or Never sustainability strategy.
Holly said:
"I wanted to complete the trainee challenge to prove to myself that I could lead a project. It has taught me practical lessons in project management, leadership, and problem-solving. Despite facing challenges, the experience has been both personally and professionally rewarding, enhancing my connections and helping me grow in confidence and resilience."
A team of 32 volunteers - 24 from Willmott Dixon and eight from our supply chain - donated more than 750 hours to complete the works ahead of schedule delivering a full transformation to both the charity’s Tunbridge Wells shops.
The works included complete shop floor modernisation and layout reconfiguration, replacement of outdated donation storage with four new functional spaces, interior decoration and colour refresh, and improved customer flow and retail display capabilities. Materials were reused from demolished walls in line with sustainability goals, and colleagues donated £1,215 worth of goods. Overall, the works delivered a £28,228 project contribution that will help generate vital funds for hospice care for years to come.
To further support the hospice, Holly and the team organised two standout fundraising events, enlisting support from Kent's largest organic vineyard, which hosted ticketed vineyard tours and a raffle; while a football tournament brought together 12 teams representing supply chain partners and Willmott Dixon.
In total, the fundraising events generated £3,435 with an additional contribution from the Peter Willmott Foundation.
The improved facilities have made an immediate impact. In the first week after reopening, both shops achieved record-breaking sales and saw a surge in donations from the local community.
Sharon Gills, Head of Retail at Hospice in the Weald, said:
"There was a queue outside the shop, and everyone commented on the new colours. It is lovely to have a shop looking fresh and vibrant, with changes made to the layout and increased storage for donations - it has certainly helped with the challenges of one of our busiest shops."
