SALISBURY'S new Cancer Research UK store has today been opened by a well-known city vet – who herself battled with the disease.

Sarah Warren was the VIP cutting the ribbon to officially open the charity’s new shop on Catherine Street this morning.

Along with items donated by the public and by high street corporate supporters of the charity, the Salisbury store will also be selling a range of new Christmas cards and gifts.

The shop is the charity’s 598th and will be packed with hundreds of items.

Julie Byard, director of trading for Cancer Research UK, said: “We are delighted to be opening the doors of our new shop in Salisbury. We will be providing a mix of quality items at bargain prices that I am confident shoppers in the city will love.

“Our shops and superstores up and down the country continue to prove a real hit with customers and we are really proud to be adding Salisbury to the collection. I hope that people come and join us as we celebrate the opening of the store – and take the opportunity to grab a bargain while they are there.”

The shop will be open seven days a week, from 9am-5.30pm Monday to Saturday and 10am-4pm on Sunday.

SARAH'S STORY

Sarah knows only too well the importance of the need to fund more research, having lost her mum Patricia Clark to ovarian cancer in 2014. She was 68 years old.

Two years later Sarah found a lump in her breast which a biopsy initially showed to be benign. However, a mammogram highlighted an area of calcification that led to the mum-of-two being diagnosed with Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS).

Sarah underwent three weeks of radiotherapy in November 2016, but a further ultrasound in January 2017 raised more concerns and she underwent surgery to have the entire breast lump removed.

At the end of February she was given the devastating news she had Grade II invasive breast cancer. Within a week she had a mastectomy and her lymph nodes removed because her cancer had spread.

Sarah, 45, had a tough ride to recovery which included a stay in intensive care because of an infection while having chemotherapy, which sent her body into septic shock.

She said: “It was a life-threatening situation and I could have died but thankfully they got the intravenous antibiotics into me very fast. Chemo was stopped to allow me to recover and it was during that time I took part in Race for Life with 44 girlfriends to raise money for Cancer Research UK. It gave me a lot of focus at that point – it was an incredibly moving day.”

Sarah, who is mum to Rose, 16 and Emily, 13, completed treatment in August that year. The following month she returned to her job as a veterinary dermatologist before opting for a major career change and starting a new business venture with her husband Robert, who is also a vet.

Together they founded Vet AI – a company that has launched a new app called “Joii” which gives pet owners instant access to a free symptom-checker and advice as well as to video consultations with veterinary professionals. Sarah also continues to see referral dermatology cases at The Vets in Exeter Street.

She said: “Cancer has an enormous impact on your life and it changes you, but teaches you a lot about what really matters.

“I am lucky because I had amazing support from Robert, my family and friends. It made a massive difference. Now I don’t take anything for granted – I grab every opportunity that comes my way.

“To be the VIP opening Cancer Research UK’s new shop here in Salisbury is an absolute privilege and I hope lots of people come along and join in the celebrations with me.”

More volunteers are being sought who have an interest in retail and who can spare a few hours every week. Anyone interested can call in to the Catherine Street shop and speak to manager Lisa Connor.

For more information about Cancer Research UK visit www.cruk.org/shops or follow @CRUKshops on Twitter.