Since opening nearly a year and a half ago, the Little Havens Maldon charity shop has become a much-loved part of the local community, with every item sold helping to fund specialist care for children and young people with complex and incurable conditions, as well as vital support for their families.
The funds raised are enough to cover an astonishing 3,800 hours of specialist care at Little Havens. Led by a team of experienced nurses, this could include providing care during a respite break, emergency stay or support at the end of a child’s life.
Little Havens currently supports more than 300 children and young people across Essex. One of the families supported is six-year-old Dexter from Maldon.
Dexter was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in May 2023, just after his third birthday – a diagnosis that came as a shock to his family. Overnight, his world changed as he faced intensive treatment and medical procedures. Dexter and his family were referred to Little Havens later that year to help them cope with the emotional impact of his diagnosis.
“Little Havens started to provide play therapy for Dexter, helping him understand and feel a bit more in control of everything that was happening. Slowly, he started to come out of his shell, and things started to change. By the end of his sessions, Dexter was back to his cheeky, funny, energetic self—running around the hospice full of confidence.
“The Dexter who first came to Little Havens, compared to the Dexter we have now, is unrecognisable. I have my little boy back again.
“I don’t know how we would have made it through the last couple of years without the help of Little Havens.”
Bev Thurston, Shop Manager at the Little Havens Maldon charity shop, said the milestone wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible support of the local community.
“We’ve had such a warm welcome in Maldon, and we’re so grateful for the support we’ve received. Without it, Little Havens simply wouldn’t be able to support local families like Dexter’s.
“Our volunteers make a massive difference – we couldn’t run the shop without them. Their time, energy and enthusiasm keep everything going day to day.”
Whether people choose to donate items or purchase something in-store, every contribution plays an important part in supporting local families. “We get so many unusual and wonderful items donated,” Bev said. “You never quite know what might come through the door.
“Sometimes it’s the most unexpected items that raise the most money. We recently had some Polly Pockets and My Little Pony toys from the 1990s donated. We didn’t realise quite how popular they were with collectors, but between the shop and eBay they sold for more than £500.
“It definitely made me think twice about all the toys I had in the 90s that I didn’t keep – they’d probably be worth a fortune now!”
The Maldon team would like to say a huge thank you to the local community for the incredible support they’ve shown since day one. Every donation and every purchase helps make a difference. The shop is open seven days a week on the High Street, and they are always welcoming new volunteers who would like to get involved and make a difference to their local community. Please visit the shop to find out more.
Published on 14th April 2026
