Stella Lucas, the founder of All Aboard charity shops, wants to recruit lots more volunteers to raise funds for charity - and now she has the space to do it.
Earlier this month, the charity opened its new north London headquarters, Stella Lucas House in Edgware, named in her honour and in celebration of her 94th birthday, which is today.
The 16-strong chain of charity shops across the UK to raise funds for a host of Jewish charities and everything that is for sale is donated.
Ms Lucas tells People: "It wasn't my idea to name the building, though I am very proud. It is lovely and I enjoyed the opening. I had to cut ribbons and unveil plaques but what pleased me most was my grandson, Richard, who fixed the mezuzah on the front door. It was a novel way of celebrating my birthday. They said, I was mad when I wanted to set up All Aboard. I was running the Board of Deputies' central enquiry desk and we got hundreds of calls from people wanting to dispose of goods. I walked through the high street and saw the Oxfam shop and thought : 'Right, I am going to do this for the Jewish community.'"
