Bookshop founder, 94, honoured for charity efforts

One of the founders of a charity bookshop which has raised £210,000 over the last half a century has been honoured for his efforts.

Tom Peacock, 94, who served in every major position at the Darlington Lions Charity Bookshop from president to treasurer, said the endeavour has filled him with "incredible pride".

He was presented with a long service badge and praised for his "instrumental" role in setting up the successful bookshop.

Looking back on 50 years, Mr Peacock said: "It just shows what can happen when you are committed to the community."

Initially the second hand bookshop had to be a pop-up, appearing for just a week in various buildings around Darlington, until a Lions member offered a small room right at the back of the Blackwellgate building.

From there the shop went from "strength to strength" with regular expansion into a popular feature of the town.

Mr Peacock said: "Our expansion has been incredible, I'm very proud of what we have achieved.

"It is staggering to think about all that the club has raised and the number of causes that we have been able to support.

"The people of Darlington have always supported us and that has always encouraged me to carry on."

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