Over 1000 people turned up on Saturday, (10^th October) to celebrate the opening of the UK’s leading specialist aquatic retailer, Maidenhead Aquatic’s 150^th store in Cirencester and raised almost £200 for charity, Marie Curie.

The event at the new store, which is located within Dobbies Garden Centre, saw the first 25 delighted customers on the day receive a goody bag worth £20 and over 500 people enter a prize draw to win an Aquatropic 100 aquarium set worth £249.99 plus everything a ‘fishkeeper’ needs to get started

All funds raised will go to Marie Curie, which was chosen by staff in recognition of their efforts helping people and their families living with a terminal illness and the invaluable support they provide.

Kids also took part in competitions to win an aquarium, got their faces painted and tucked into a specially designed celebratory fish shaped cake, whilst parents joined in the expert talks and took advantage of the various special offers and discounts.

Phil Basford, Maidenhead Aquatics Cirencester Manager, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that our fundraising official launch was such a huge success and so many families and avid fishkeepers turned up in their droves to help us celebrate and mark the occasion.

“My thanks and appreciation go to everyone who dug deep over the course of the day and of course to the staff who also made donations.

 “The feedback already on our new store in Dobbies has been amazing and hugely positive.  The new koi pond to allow people to feed the fish was particularly popular with both fishkeepers and families, who also enjoyed the extra activities we put on to celebrate the launch, including expert talks, face painting and competitions. I’m confident that it will be a huge success going forward.”

The store features over 150 aquariums, including the designer range, AquaOak and over 5,000 exotic invertebrates and tropical freshwater, marine, coldwater and pond fish from around the world, from Diamond Tetra’s and a Dracula Goby to a selection of South American Cichlid species and South Pacific Corals.