Cotswold Care Hospice charity shops

Cotswold Care Hospice has 10 shops; the aim of these is to provide a regular and sustainable source of income that supports the good work of the charity.

How is the money I spend in a shop used by the hospice?

As with any shop part of our income is used to cover costs, including rent, rates, salaries and utilities. The remaining profit is spent on patient care. Our shops in 2008/2009 generated £121,000 profit for the hospice.

What sort of items do you take as donations?

All of our shops gladly accept donations. We particularly welcome good quality clothing as it makes up the bulk of our total sales. We can accept clothing in any condition as we can sell it on to recycling companies. We accept shoes, jewellery, bric-a-brac, books, cds and furniture. Sadly we cannot accept electrical goods.

Can I help by volunteering in a shop?

Volunteers are the lifeline of our shops - as they are in all areas of the hospice. Each shop has a paid manager and deputy. The rest of the staff are volunteers, who on average give four hours a week of their time. Duties can include sorting and cleaning goods or serving customers. For more details contact the managers at our shops.

Why do you spend so much money on making your shops look good?

We are proud to be part of our communities and our high street. We believe that our shops should reflect the professionalism and high standards found in the Hospice. We want our shoppers to have a pleasant shopping experience that will encourage them to return and give our volunteers and staff an environment that they will enjoy working in.

How can signing up to Gift Aid when I donate goods make a difference to Cotswold Care Hospice?

Any UK taxpayer wishing to make a donation directly to a Cotswold Care shop can use Git Aid to increase the value of their donation by 28 per cent. It has no cost implications to you or affect your tax code. By signing the Gift Aid form, it means that the charity can reclaim the tax from HM Revenue and Customs.

Charity shop volunteer application form