Somewhere in far off Borneo, an orangutan or two will have cause to thank a new Basildon shop.

Julian Graves, the snack and general ingredients store that has opened in Basildon's Eastgate Centre, will donate part of its profits to an ape sanctuary 5,000 miles away.

A portion of the proceeds from banana chips and banana candy shapes will be donated to the Orangutan Foundation. Nick Shutts, Julian Graves's managing director, said: "The plight of the orang-utans is very moving and we felt the foundation would be a very appropriate place to raise funds for."

Food source : Julian Graves supervisor Helen Ouattara a the Basildon shop and inset Picture: ROB BROWNE

The money will help fund a project in Borneo to care for orphaned orangs.

The store's stock, including nuts, dried fruits and Bombay mix, as well as confectionery, means that it deals in much of the sort of food that orangutans would dearly like to get their hands on.

The opening of the 1,000sq ft shop has created five new jobs.

Grateful Ashley Leiman, director of the Orangutan Foundation, said: "The rate at which orangutan numbers are declining is most worrying. The species could well be extinct within ten years."

Published Wednesday, April 30, 2003

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