WILKINSON stores in West Ealing are embracing their inner Sir Alan Sugar and Mary Portas by taking part in an Apprentice-style challenge for the Shooting Star CHASE children's charity.

Today (Friday October 26), volunteers from the stores will take over the Shooting Star CHASE charity shop in Whitton and go head to head with other store teams from across the region.

The aim is to sell as much stock as possible throughout the day, with all proceeds going straight to the charity.

Wilkinson team members will also be donating items that can be sold in the store, which is based on High Street, Whitton, and will be using their expert sales skills in order to win the challenge.

Team member, Barbara Malas, from the West Ealing Wilkinson store, explained: "This is going to be a really fun challenge and a great way to get all the stores in the region fundraising for such a well-known charity in the area. We will certainly be putting our selling skills to the test and would like to invite people from the local area to come and visit the store to help us raise lots of money for the charity."

Lisa Hook, senior corporate fundraiser at Shooting Star CHASE, said: "The Wilkinsons’ team are all retail experts, so I think the apprentice challenge will be a closely fought out competition. We are very grateful for all the support that the team has been giving us so far and are looking forward to seeing how much will be raised and which team comes out on top."

Wilkinsons has been trading for more than 80 years, since JK Wilkinson opened the first store in Leicester in 1930. There are currently 370 stores across the UK, including 10 in Scotland.