23.09.2004
A Wylde Green charity shop has marked ten years of service to local shoppers by holding a special birthday party.

The St Giles Hospice Shop at 406 Birmingham Road raises funds to support the hospice’s care of local people living with cancer and other serious illnesses, and celebrated its tenth anniversary on Thursday (23rd September).

Guests of honour at the celebration included some of the shop’s longest serving volunteers. They officially cut the tenth birthday cake, which was then shared among staff and fellow volunteers.

Lynwen Truesdale, General Manager of St Giles Hospice Shops, said: “Over its ten years, many thousands of people have visited the shop to make a purchase or donate items we can sell.

“We are grateful to them, and to our dedicated staff and volunteers, for the important part they have played in supporting the work of St Giles Hospice.

“Last year, the network of twelve shops and two warehouses raised £607,000 to support the hospice’s work – and with demands on our care continuing to increase, every penny is desperately needed.”

Items available in the Wylde Green shop include clothes, accessories, books, and products for the home – including a dedicated furniture department with a wide range of items always available. The shop also sells a selection of new goods, including greeting cards throughout the year, and the hospice’s range of Christmas cards from September onwards.

Donations of good quality clothing and other items that can be sold are always welcome, and further information is available by contacting the shop on 0121 384 7533.

The shop in Wylde Green is one of five St Giles Hospice Shops in Sutton Coldfield. The others are located at 28 Boldmere Road in Boldmere, 300 Lichfield Road in Mere Green, 39 Walmley Road in Walmley, and the specialist bookshop at 284a Lichfield Road in Mere Green. The hospice has recently announced plans to open a new care facility in the town, in partnership with Sutton Coldfield Municipal Charities.

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 thirteen 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.

In addition, a clothing warehouse for donations and a furniture warehouse offering a wide range of high-quality furniture at value-for-money prices, are based in Shenstone, near Lichfield.

Last year the hospice shops raised a total of £607,000 - and every penny is desperately needed by St Giles. The charity spends over £4million caring for local people with cancer and other serious illnesses, as well as providing support for their families and carers, and relies heavily on the support of local people to enable its valuable work to continue.