Crane Quality Counselling charity shop's tribute to manager

Dawn Bradley passed away earlier this year, aged just 48, from cancer.

She had been one of the managers at Crane Quality Counselling’s charity shop on Witton Street in Northwich.

Each year her and co-manager, Sam Farrington, would create a special display in the window for Halloween, using the unwanted dolls.

Following Dawn’s death, Sam hadn’t planned to continue doing it but after speaking with her family, decided it was the perfect way to honour her late colleague.

“It’s been a really hard year,” Sam said.

“I’m still close with her family, I always will be.

“It’s heartbreaking because sometimes I wake up and think, oh I must tell Dawn something.

“I have found it difficult and I’ve become a workaholic really.

“She is very sadly missed, she was my best friend.”

The display at Crane Quality Counselling (Image: Crane Quality Counselling)

Sam, 47, added: “I know you have to try and move on but the Halloween window was her thing, she was so artistic.

“Her family have been and seen it, they’re made up that we are continuing to remember her and how wonderful she was.”

Sam and Dawn came up with the idea for the Halloween window display after realising that there was not much interest in the Victorian dolls donated to them.

They decided to give them spooky makeovers, with Dawn creating Pennywise and Chucky-inspired creations over the years.

What started several years ago has now become one of the shop's most popular traditions.

“People absolutely love it,” Sam said.

“We always have people coming in and asking when are we going to be putting out the dolls.

“A couple of years ago somebody actually visited from America and bought one of the dolls, they were worried they might get stopped at customs because it was so scary.

“We like to be different here. Yes we need to make money but we are also very personal,  we’re like a community and it is just a happy place to be.”

Dawn passed away earlier this year, aged 48 (Image: Crane Quality Counselling)

Shrewsbury-based Crane Quality Counselling was established in 2016, replacing RELATE Shropshire who went into liquidation in 2014.

Sam has worked at the Northwich shop the entire time and this year a partnership was launched with Rosebank Wellbeing Centre to offer counselling services closer to home. 

She said: “People don’t usually say ‘I love working for this company’ but I do, it’s a brilliant place to work.”

Dawn leaves behind a husband, Ian, and their two children, Jake and Joe.