A support group for victims of domestic violence has opened a community shop to raise funds for its work.

The Sprowston store, opened by Norwich organisation Dawn's New Horizon, is believed to be the first in the region to be opened by a domestic violence group.

Lorraine Saunders, 45, who runs Dawn's New Horizon, said she hoped the Cannerby Lane premises would help to raise the profile of the group's work, and encourage people to speak more openly about domestic violence.

The shop, which is at the parade next to the Beehive pub, opened on Saturday and has donated items on sale, as well as information and leaflets about domestic violence.

Mrs Saunders said: 'We've wanted to do this for about seven years and now the volunteers have made it possible and the community too, because they have backed us.

'Our clients told us they wanted us to have a shop so it could be somewhere they could drop in to to have a chat about domestic violence.'

The group hopes the store will help to raise more money to provide self-esteem courses, as well as courses to help victims of violence get back into work.

The shop, which will be staffed by unpaid volunteers from 9.30am to 3pm, Monday to Saturday, will also be able to provide retail experience to some of the volunteers looking to get back into work after being in an abusive relationship.

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