13th June 2005

St Giles Hospice is backing a new national scheme to ensure members of the public get the best possible service from charity shops – whether shopping or donating goods.

The charity - which cares for local people living with cancer and other serious illnesses - has joined the Association of Charity Shops’ (ACS) ‘Code of Charity Retailing’.

The code sets out mandatory regulations and a wide range of good practice requirements covering all aspects of charity retailing – including ensuring shops make the most of all donations of goods from members of the public.

It aims to promote high standards, as well as encouraging public confidence and support for charity shops – thereby increasing awareness of legitimate organisations and helping to stamp out dishonest and bogus house-to-house collectors.

Lynwen Truesdale, General Manager of St Giles Hospice Shops, says: “As a member of the ACS we are very pleased to take part in such an excellent initiative – which promotes good practice and public confidence.

' As one of the leading regional charity shop groups we already follow all the requirements of the code.

' St Giles Hospice relies heavily on the continued revenue generated from our network of 13 charity shops across the region to provide its caring services, and we would be unable to do this without the generous support of local people.

' By signing up to the Code of Charity Retailing they can be sure that we are operating to high standards and making the most of the donations we receive.'

The Code of Charity Retailing was introduced in April this year, replacing the Kitemark scheme of which St Giles has been a member since it was launched in 2000, which principally focused on the collections of goods.

Donations of high-quality clothing and items for the home can be made at any of the twelve St Giles Hospice shops across the region, the details of which can be found by clicking here.

Items can also be donated to the specialist bookshop at 284a Lichfield Road, in Mere Green, or the hospice shops’ warehouse at the Birchbrook Industrial Park in Shenstone on any weekday morning.

St Giles Hospice Shops play a vital role in funding the care offered by the hospice, a registered charity based in Whittington, near Lichfield.

The charity spends over £5million every year providing its specialist services and, with just a third of this funded by the Government, the registered charity relies heavily on the proceeds from the network of 13 charity shops – which totalled £607,000 last year.

The shops are based in major towns throughout the hospice's patient catchment area, which ranges from Ashby de la Zouch and Atherstone in the east, to Cannock and Walsall in the west – and from Burton and Uttoxeter in the north, to Sutton Coldfield and Coleshill in the south.

A furniture warehouse offering a wide range of high-quality items at value-for-money prices is based in Shenstone, near Lichfield. A selection of furniture is also available at the Cannock and Wylde Green shops.