A courageous man from Frome re-opened the new look Homebase store in Wessex Fields on Friday 28th February.
Homebase cashier Anton Paulsson cut the ribbon with friends and family after coming out of hospital, where he was in a six week coma.
Anton suddenly fell ill last year and was airlifted to hospital, where it emerged he had ADEM – a condition where the body attacks the immune system.
Anton has made a full recovery since being released from hospital in November, and returned to work part time on 17 February.
Since Paul was taken ill, staff at Frome Homebase have taken part in a football match, and guess the name and number competitions to fundraise for him, his wife and 10-month old daughter.
Frome store team leader Ben Derrick, who has organised a lot of the fundraising said, “We’re so relieved and over the moon to have Anton back with us. He is a popular member of our team, and while he was ill and off work, we wanted to do everything we could to support him and his family.”
Anton’s ribbon cutting marked the start of a festival of activities. Children were treated to a circus double act of puppet shows and balloon modelling on Friday afternoon, while the Frome Town Youth Band provided some musical entertainment on Saturday.
The store has undergone a major refit with a new decorating centre including touch screen technology to help inspire customers to transform the look of rooms in their homes. With a free interior design service now available, City & Guilds trained decorating consultants can also help them create personalised mood boards using swatches of flooring, tiling, wallpaper and paint materials.
Homebase products are also even more accessible to customers with its online ‘Reserve & Collect’ service and new fast delivery options. Exclusive brands such as Schreiber, Jamie Oliver and Qualcast, as well as a ‘mini-Habitat’, are also available in store.
Offering a new and inspirational approach to gardening, the garden centre is now laid out into three distinct zones to help customers create a great outdoor living space, however big or small their garden, patio or balcony.
The Grow Your Own Zone gives those wanting to produce their own fruit and vegetables a vast array of products. The Plant Zone has garden plants laid out according to their needs, making it easier to plant for shady borders or sunny spots.
The Building Zone allows customers to make a considered choice when selecting the right shed or arbour – all of which are available to take home the same day.
Store manager Dan Lewry said, “The store looks fantastic and we expect it to be a massive hit with customers. I would encourage everyone to come down and have a look at the new format store; you’re bound to walk out of the store with a new idea for your home.
“We have various new features including a decorating centre, new-look lighting and home area, a carpet shop, made-to-measure curtains, and a garden advice centre to name a few.”
For anyone looking for tips and advice on planting, a wide range of ‘how to’ leaflets are available in store, as well as helpful videos that can be found on the Homebase YouTube channel.
The Frome store is Wi-Fi enabled and colleagues have been equipped with tablet devices and headsets to help communication and customer service.
