Claire House Children’s Hospice is now trading at two of its Wirral charity shops seven days a week by opening on a Sunday, looking to reach more local families and create jobs in the community.
Both West Kirby and Heswall’s Telegraph Road charity shops are trialling the new opening hours, hoping to raise a further £10,000 a year for Claire House as well as a part-time job and several volunteering opportunities.
Claire House offers care to young people who aren’t expected to live to be adults, as well as support to their family. Currently, the hospice is only reaching half the children who might need their help, with 58 youngsters on Wirral receiving support last year.
Simon Dodd, Retail Manager at Claire House, told JMU Journalism: “The reason we’ve decided to run this pilot is because we saw an opportunity for the potential to raise more money to help our children and their families. Our shops are the community face of Claire House and raise us thousands of pounds each year as well as awareness of our cause.
“You’ve got to try new things to get the best care for the families we support. Five or six years ago our opening hours during the day were different and shifting those slightly had a huge impact. We just see the potential to branch out and make a difference to children’s’ lives.”
Debbie Hignett, manager of the West Kirby shop, told JMU Journalism: “We collect over 100 bags a week so anything above what we already get is a great help. The more donations we receive from the public, the more equipment and better care the hospice can provide for the children.
“Whatever people contribute to the store helps Claire House a lot. It all adds up.”