CHARITY chiefs at St Richard’s Hospice have closed their 19 shops and warehouse in Worcestershire, including those in Evesham and Pershore, to protect staff, volunteers, donors and customers from the spread of the coronavirus.
The hospice temporarily closed its shops and warehouse on Tuesday (March 24) in line with hundreds of other non-essential retailers as part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s lockdown to tackle the COVID-19 virus.
The charity has asked people not to leave donations outside its shops. It has also suspended all furniture and other donation collections for the time being.
Dan Corns, shops and commercial director at St Richard’s, said: “We take this decision with a heavy heart but it’s absolutely the right action to take for the safety of our staff, volunteers, donors and customers.
“We have the most fantastic support from the people of Worcestershire and we very much look forward to welcoming them back when the government advises it is safe to open our doors once again. We thank them all for their patience and understanding at this difficult time.”
St Richard’s Hospice shops contributed more than £761,000 after costs in this financial year so far towards the free care and support St Richard’s offers to patients and families.
June Patel, hospice chief executive, said: “Closing the shops temporarily is the right decision but will be a major blow to our fund-raising to help us continue to care. We are keeping a close eye on government announcements of any assistance in the form of grant funding and loans and rents and rate relief.
“In these uncertain times, we are aiming to maintain our caring services – within NHS guidelines – to ensure those who need our support can continue to access it. This means different ways of working in some areas, such as over the phone or online support, for example video calls.
“We know it’s a difficult time for everyone, but we will be grateful to anyone who is able to support us by making a donation to help us continue our care by visiting www.strichards.org.uk/donate
St Richard’s is an independent charity and relies on donations and gifts in wills for the majority of its income with 22 per cent funded by the NHS.
Visit www.strichards.org.uk for more.
