THE Society for Mucopolysaccharide Diseases will be £2,000 better off following the pop up shop opened by Michael and Pat Skidmore in memory of their daughter Helen who suffered from Hurlers Syndrome.

Following the untimely death of Helen in May, Pat and a group of loyal friends and helpers manned the shop and many traders in and around the town showed tremendous sympathy and support for the project by donating wonderful prizes for a raffle. Parlophone and Warner Music donated a signed and framed poster of Coldplay via Helen’s brother who works in the music industry and together with gift vouchers for hair, clothes, meals, food, gardens, jewellery and the usual array of wine and spirits, there were 50 prizes in all.

Chris Munslow the Town Mayor kindly agreed to draw the winning tickets and prizes will be distributed accordingly. There was also a ‘guess the weight’ competition for a tasty iced Christmas cake.

There are some items left for sale in the shop. If it is not open, anyone can ask in Michael and Pat’s business next door for access.

Pat said: “When there is a loss in a family, the clearance of possessions at a very emotional time is always difficult and is why I thought of the pop up shop because then, items Helen had collected over many years would make some money for a little known charity who desperately need funds to support families and promote research.

“I thought that if they could raise £1,000 it would be tremendous, but to double that is unbelievable. People have been so generous and having the opportunity to tell so many about a condition that they had never heard of has been most rewarding. Having the support of so many makes the grieving process more bearable and shows the love and respect for Helen in Monmouth by turning a negative into a positive.”