Hospice opens first clearance outlet in city

A hospice is opening its first clearance outlet in a city to help fund its care services.

Willen Hospice in Milton Keynes is opening the store on 15 January in the Stacey Bushes Trading Centre.

Every item will be priced at £1, £3 or £5, with a selection of women's and men's clothing and homeware on offer.

Ian Palmer, associate director of retail at the hospice, said this was "a game-changing clearance concept that's new to Milton Keynes and new to Willen Hospice".

"We're giving unsold items one last chance to find a home before recycling - creating a bold, sustainable retail experience that combines affordability, innovation and impact," he added.

The shop will also feature a concession from Off The Record - the hospice's independent music store based in central Milton Keynes.

It follows on from the launch of the hospice's regular high-street charity shop in Stony Stratford shop in November.

Two more high-street charity shops are also opening soon – in Oxley Park and Brooklands.

Willen Hospice said it cost £11m each year to provide expert care services for local people with a life-limiting illness.

Ongoing NHS funding covers only 12.7% of this, so the hospice's shops are one of its most important and reliable sources of income.

It said that through shopping sustainably, customers were directly helping care for patients and their families across the city.

Palmer said: "This new outlet is all about making a big impact through small prices."

He added that "your cash will help to keep our life-changing care completely free of charge for patients".

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