Local charity celebrates 30 years in retail

Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity (FNHC) is proudly celebrating 30 years in brick-and-mortar retail.

 The milestone will be hit on Saturday and throughout their shops across the region there will be celebration, reflection and giveaways to commemorate the achievement.

FNHC opened its first charity shop in 1993 in Aylesbury and over the past 30 years it has grown to 13 shops thanks to the continued and unwavering support of the community.

“By shopping, donating, or volunteering, an incredible amount of people have helped us to grow our retail offer over the past three decades and raise vital funds to provide hospice care to those across Buckinghamshire and its borders.” Said Lily Caswell, Head of Retail for FNHC.
“With an increasing need for hospice services, we haven’t finished yet, and there are more communities that we are hoping to engage with. Our current target is to reach a portfolio of 20 shops, this would provide the perfect platform to support the Hospice the best we can.”

The drive to reach this figure is clear, with three new shops opening this year; Beaconsfield, Hazlemere and Princes Risborough. This is done by combining paid staff and volunteers in each shop and at the head office located in Aylesbury.

“Volunteers are so crucial to us. Not just in retail but in all aspects of the Charity. However, where the community will mostly see them is at our shops, and it’s here where the majority of our volunteers take the time to help us, with 560 volunteers within our retail division.” Explained Vicky Harmon, Volunteering Engagement Manager at FNHC.

“All of the shop volunteers do such a great job for us. They are representatives of the charity, welcome all visitors and run each shop alongside the two paid members of staff. Collectively, they give us 1,569 hours a week of their time which equates to 81,588 hours per year.”

Over the past thirty years in retail, the turnover of FNHC shops is estimated at £17 million with 100% of the profits going towards hospice care. In the last financial year, they sold 130,821 items of clothing and recycled 276 tonnes worth of items, saving it from landfill which is part of their ongoing sustainability ambitions.