Car crash leads friends to set up not-for-profit shop

Jacquie Isaac (left) and Sarah Clark (right) run Essential Express on the High Street in Wellington

Two former nurses have opened a not-for-profit shop after they were involved in a head-on car crash.

Jacquie Isaac, 59, and Sarah Clark, 70, had to give up their nursing careers after being left with serious injuries following the crash in 2016.

Looking at what else they could do, they decided to open Essentials Express on the High Street in Wellington, adding that they "just want to give back and help like we did when we were nurses".

Miss Isaac said: "We don't take a wage, we charge just enough to cover the rent and the overheads."

The friends said they want to help people struggling with the cost of living crisis and that they were "shocked at how much people needed somewhere like this".

Jacquie Isaac and Sarah Clark hope to grow the shop in the coming months

Miss Isaac and Mrs Clark were passengers in a car travelling back from Bristol Airport when they were hit head-on by another vehicle going at least 60mph.

Miss Isaac said she is "lucky to be alive".

"The only reason I'm still here is that there was a doctor passing by who had oxygen," she said.

"After that I didn't return to nursing.

"It took some time for my recovery. So I thought, what can I do?

"I read about the Pop Up Shop in Wellington coming up, thought we'd give it a go."

All stock in the shop is new but at discounted prices

The pair opened for a short period in the Pop Up Shop on Fore Street before looking for a new location.

The new shop opened on 7 May and stocks clothing for men, women, and children from ex-chain stores, along with shoes, games and toiletries.

"It's all new stock, just at reduced prices so people in Wellington can come and get something they can afford," Mrs Clark said.