KENDAL Oxfam has taken over a former town centre café bar in a bid to expand its growing branch across two shops.

The charity plans to transform the former Mint Café Bar, at Highgate, into a second Oxfam store that will stock clothes and accessories, while the current shop next door will sell secondhand books and music.

Oxfam bosses have been looking to expand the Kendal branch, which has the highest turnover of all the South Lakeland stores, as its popularity has left stock competing for space.

Area manager Ian Falkingham said the adjacent Highgate premises seemed ideal for doubling the size of the shop with minimal disruption.

For full story see this week's Westmorland Gazette.