Severn Hospice reopens its latest charity shops
A cherished Shropshire hospice will be nearing full strength as it continues to reopen its charity shops in coming weeks.
Severn Hospice had to close its 28 charity shops in March because of the coronavirus pandemic, and had been losing £100,000 a week – a large proportion of the hospice's income normally comes from the sale of clothes, books, toys, furniture and more.
With government guidelines allowing the charity to open its first shop in Whitchurch on June 15, it has since undertaken a phased reopening of all its premises across the county.
Yesterday, the shop in Cleobury Mortimer welcomed back hospice supporters for the first time in months, with volunteers donning protective gear and social distancing guidelines introduced.
The store on High Street will be open from 10am to 4pm daily and closed on Sundays.
Today will see volunteers take to the shops on Lansdowne Road in Bayston Hill and King Street in Ludlow to greet customers and receive donations.
The store in Bridgnorth, based on High Street, will be reopening on Friday, while the charity shop in Ellesmere High Street will reopen on September 30.
Lastly, the store in Oakengates, based on Market Street, will open its doors on October 7.
The hospice confirmed all its premises are Covid-secure and said it is treating the safety of customers and staff as a priority.
Ross Henderson, the charity’s head of retail, said: “We have taken every step to make sure that we are following government guidelines while still being able to offer our loyal supporters what they want.
“We have missed our customers and we can’t wait to see them. They should be confident that the shops are Covid-secure.
“We are confident that the measures we have taken will ensure that our customers and supporters can shop safely with us.
“Our shops generate more than £1 million for us each year, money which allows us to support families living with incurable illness and who need our care."
The charity, which cares for people living with incurable illness in Mid Wales, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, is also seeking volunteers.
A message from the hospice posted online said: "While we have reopened most of our shops, we are missing some of our wonderful volunteers.
"Because of the pandemic, not all of them have been able to return to their roles.
"Are you able to help? We urgently need volunteer van buddies to help with collections and deliveries, meeters and greeters and till maestros for our shops, and sorters for all our lovely donated stock."
