In our 30th birthday year over 50 charity and community events were held in the centre.
Savacentre (now Sainsbury's) opened on 17th October 1978 at Hempstead Valley. Hempstead Valley was the first out of town shopping centre to be built in Kent and the first shopping centre in the UK with a Food Court!
The following charity and community events were held in the centre as part of our 30th birthday celebrations:
- November 2008 the Poppy Appeal collection here raised £12,225.61 in 6 days.
- Guide Dogs for the Blind collected £3375.64 from 6th to 11 October 2008
- Thomson's charity the RNLI collected £1554.11 on Saturday 4th October
- Royal Marines Association collected over £1428 on Saturday 20th September
- Kent Air Ambulance raised £376.33
Su Button from Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre, said, "Our customers always give generously to charity appeals and this year they have surpassed themselves by donating a record amount to charities. In 2008 the Poppy Appeal raised over £12,000 and we are proud to offer our continued support to the dedicated Poppy Appeal collectors whose fundraising helps with vital welfare work for the ex-Service and Service community in this country."
