AN ‘AWE-inspiring’ Rugby mother and son became heroes for the day when they officially opened Rugby’s new Debenhams on Thursday (September 3).
Hayley and Tommy Lloyd won the department store’s search for a local hero to cut the ribbon at Elliott’s Field Retail Park after being nominated by friends and family because of their positivity after Tommy’s diagnosis with muscular dystrophy, an untreatable and incurable muscle-wasting disease.
Hayley tweeted: “Very proud of Tommy opening Debenhams at Rugby this morning. We never stopped smiling all morning. Thank you for your kindness.”
Following his diagnosis, Tommy and Hayley have raised tens of thousands of pounds for Muscular Dystrophy UK.
Both have performed fundraising skydives, Tommy has bathed in baked beans for over four hours at a local supermarket, and Hayley was named Muscular Dystrophy Campaign’s Communicator of the Year.
Hayley and Tommy were treated to a special makeover and exclusive preview of the store before cutting the ribbon alongside members of St Andrews Ladies Rugby team – the other local heroes nominated for the honour.
The new store comprises womenswear, accessories, lingerie, menswear, childrenswear and homeware departments, alongside a fragrance hall and an Insomnia café.
It will create around 120 full and part time jobs, and is the first of two main ‘anchor’ shops at the revamped park to open – the other being Marks and Spencer.
