Surprised shoppers found themselves sharing a coffee with Adam Ant as Starbucks staff went back to the 80s in a bid to raise money for a charity challenge.
The madcap fundraiser was the brainchild of Divina Quinn, manager of Starbucks at Eagles Meadow shopping centre in Wrexham.
She persuaded her team to dress up in 1980s gear to help raise £800 towards a Prince’s Trust 100 mile challenge she is preparing for.
Some of the era’s greatest tunes from artists such as Madonna, Michael Jackson, The Human League and Spandau Ballet were played during the day to get staff and customers in the 80s vibe.
Their target was £80 and staff at nine other Starbuck branches across the region donned their leg warmers and ra ra skirts to try and raise the same amount.
Divina, who wore a jump suit with shoulder pads on the day, is raising the money for a unique challenge with Starbucks colleagues from other UK branches.
The six-strong team will be hiking, biking and kayaking 100 miles over three days, coast to coast, through Somerset and Devon in September to raise money for The Prince’s Trust, a youth charity set up in 1976 by The Prince of Wales to help disadvantaged youngsters.
Divina, who is married to Anthony and mum to Matilda, five and Ivy, two, said: “Starbucks do a lot of work with The Prince’s Trust and I used to work at a branch in Brighton.
“My old manager there said she wanted to do it and she said that if I said yes to doing it with her, she would buy me a coffee so I thought why not?”
Divina, 33, from Chester, said she has always been a fit and active person who loves the outdoors so the challenge appealed to her but working full time and looking after her daughters has made training a challenge in itself.
The trainee yoga teacher, who has worked for Starbucks for 10 years, said: “At the moment I have been running every other day but I really do need to get more practice on the bike. The trouble is that I work full time and I have two small children so I get home, sort the kids out and then try and squeeze a run in.
“I have done kayaking before but not for about 10 years but I am confident I will be fine once I have to do it. It will be hard work on my arms so I am going to be doing lots of exercises specifically to strengthen my arm muscles.”
Divina said the challenge has given her a goal to strive for and said she is looking forward to the event which will involve camping out under the stars for two nights.
To keep her warm and comfortable during those chilly September nights, Mountain Warehouse, next door to Starbucks, is donating several hundred pounds worth of kit to help her on her way.
Roy Stanley, manager of Mountain Warehouse at Eagles Meadow, said he would be giving Divina items such as a sleeping bag, roll mat, sunglasses and a compass for free.
He said: “The Prince’s Trust is a great charity to support and the fact that Divina works in the next door business is a good reason to support her. As local businesses, we all have to help one another out as much as possible.”
Divina was also helped out on the day by Sarah Melia on the Urban Decay make up stand in Debenhams. To make sure Divina looked the part, Sarah created a funky 80s make up look for her which involved lots of brightly coloured eye shadow.
Kevin Critchley, shopping centre manager, said: “It is great to see another example of businesses within the shopping centre helping one another out in a bid to raise some serious cash for a worthwhile charity like The Prince’s Trust.
“I wish Divina every success with her challenge and feel sure that with support like this she cannot fail to be inspired with her training which sounds like a lot of hard work!”
To sponsor Divina, visit the Starbucks cafe in the Eagles Meadow Shopping Centre, Wrexham, or go to http://my.artezglobal.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=358902&langPref=en-CA
