Shrewsbury Severn Hospice furniture store welcomes 25,000th customer

Since it opened its doors on Ennerdale Road in 2016, the Severn Hospice furniture store has raised more than £500,000 towards care for families living with incurable illness.

To celebrate the milestone, hospice staff presented Marilyn Yale, recognised as the store's 25,000th customer, with flowers and wine.

Mrs Yale said: “It is amazing, I am thrilled that so many people come through the door to support Severn Hospice; it’s such a boost for the charity.

“I love the things I’ve bought, and I love that the money goes to a good cause and benefits the community.”

The 6,000 sq ft shop stocks reused and recycled furniture, home and electrical goods, and relies on donations from the community which can then be sold to fund care.

Severn Hospice’s head of retail, Ross Henderson, said: “Hearing the till ring for the 25,000th time is so heartening, it is not only a brilliant achievement for our volunteers and staff, it celebrates the continuing support we receive from the community through donating goods and shopping with us. We cannot thank everyone enough.

“We have a growing network of 27 shops across Shropshire and Mid Wales and our Shrewsbury furniture store is one our most profitable. Our shops promote recycling, reviving and upcycling pre-loved goods and help combat waste, all while raising vital funds for us to help families dealing with the worst news.”

Furniture store volunteers and staff have sorted through thousands of donations, selling more than 40,000 items while generating hundreds of thousands of pounds of funding. The shop is open seven days a week selling household furniture ranging from contemporary styles to one-off antique and vintage finds.

Mrs Yale said: “I hardly ever leave with my hands empty, even if I only buy Severn Hospice cards.

“In the past I’ve bought designer furniture that cost thousands of pounds to buy brand new. I’ve got an Ercol bedroom suite, a Hartmann sideboard, three Ekornes Stressless chairs. You have to grab things when you see them because they don’t stay long."

The shop’s transport service has also carried out 7,500 deliveries and collections, driving 80,000 miles across the region and, because of its success, the furniture collection and delivery service is being expanded to seven days a week including weekends. The store has also recently launched a house clearance service.

Shop manager, Andy Perkins, said: “I opened the shop on August Bank Holiday weekend in 2016. I love every day at work, so much so that if I have too much time off, I don’t like it.

“I once ran a supermarket taking £60,000,000 a year but taking £5 here is far more rewarding, you know the difference it makes.

“I’m most proud of my team who are superb and make an awful lot of money for hospice. They even won an award last year which was special. We get lots of feedback when families who have been touched by the hospice’s services come to donate goods.”