Hospices to reopen charity shops
A CHARITY shop in Stratford will be among the stores reopening as lockdown eases during June.
The Myton Hospices shop next to Morrisons in Alcester Road is due to open on Tuesday, 23rd June – a week later than some other Myton shops across Warwickshire.
Charlotte Ingram, director of income generation, said: “All of our 27 shops and our distribution centre closed temporarily when lockdown was announced. With our shops aiming to bring in over £2m of the £9.2m we need to raise each year, the loss of retail income has been felt keenly over the last three months.
"We are excited to be able to reopen some of our shops and begin raising vital funds in this way again so we can continue to provide our services free of charge for the people of Coventry and Warwickshire living with terminal illnesses, and their families.
"Our retail team have been working very hard behind the scenes to ensure the safety of staff, volunteers and customers, and we appreciate everyone’s understanding and patience as we all get used to the ‘new normal’ as our shops begin to reopen."
Following government guidance, the charity has been putting in place safety measures, including:
- Social distancing, including limiting the number of customers at any one time;
- Donations being held for at least 72 hours before being handled;
- Regular cleaning;
- Screens put in place at tills; and
- Personal protective equipment for staff and volunteers.
Although the shops are not accepting donations, anyone wanting to donate can register their interest with the charity’s collection service, which they hope to resume in July, at mytonhospice.org/collection.
The first of the charity's shops will be open from Tuesday, 16th June, in Warwick, followed on Wednesday by Kenilworth. Other shops in Coventry and Bedworth will open at the same time as the Stratford store. Dates for other Warwickshire shops – including Wood Street in Stratford, Alcester, Henley, Southam and Wellesbourne – are yet to be announced, although the Atherstone store is to shut completely after a two-week closing-down sale.
