“Come and try us” is the plea to Christmas shoppers in Bury St Edmunds from the manager of a new town centre shop selling arts, crafts and furnishings.

Although proceeds go to the Bury St Edmunds based mental health charity Workwise, Cavern 4 in Whiting Street bucks the trend when it comes to charity shops.

It sells a combination of high-quality goods made by the charity’s trainees at its workshops in Chamberlayne Road, Moreton Hall, and items made by arts and crafts people, mostly from Suffolk.

Workwise provides specialist and vocational training to help people who are overcoming mental illness gain the skills they need to be able to get a job.

Chrissy Nunn, manager of Cavern 4, said Workwise had sold items made by its trainees on Bury market for a couple of years before the shop opened just three months ago.

“We stock a wide range of products that would make excellent Christmas presents, and as this will be our first Christmas in the shop we want as many people as possible to come in and try us,” she said.

“We sell items specifically for the Christmas market such as Christmas puddings and ‘The Ultimate Orange and Lemon Pudding’ for people who want to try something different, Christmas stockings and hand-made cards.

“Among the items made by our trainees which we will be selling all-year round are beds and bedspreads; letter, spice and magazine racks; oak furniture; radiator covers; sandblasted glassware like jugs and glasses; framed photographs; handbags; swimbags for children; and framed photographs.”

Cavern 4 also takes orders from customers who have their own specification for any of the goods made by the trainees.

The shop has managed to attract craftspeople who, as soon as they saw the high quality of the trainees’ work, wanted to sell their own pieces alongside them. They include jewellers, ceramicists, painters and photographers.

Among the many other items available are handcrafted candles made by people with a learning disability from Sudbury Resource Centre and soaps and shampoos made entirely from natural ingredients by Shetlanders with a learning disability.

Workwise’s vision is for people with mental health problems to have the same employment opportunities as everyone else, and to be able to command the same wages.

The charity itself already employs former trainees and has been successful in helping others find new jobs and get back on their feet.

* Cavern 4 opens 9am to 5pm, Mondays to Fridays. Tel 01284 700009.

For more information, including photographs, visit www.workwise.org.uk and then click on Cavern 4 which is listed under the “Main Menu” heading.