Staff at the Mary Stevens Hospice Shops in Stourbridge today issued a plea for more donated items to be brought into their shops to fill empty rails and shelves after the Christmas shopping spree.

Anyone with unwanted clothes, shoes, bric-a-brac and toys can visit any of the Mary Stevens Hospice shops around the area or for large quantities of bin bags, can arrange with the High Street store for them to be collected.

Items of furniture are also urgently needed for resale with people being turned away on a daily basis as stocks are so low.

All funds raised from donated items sold in the shops go directly to patient care at the Hospice and customers who are tax payers can make their donation go even further by completing a Gift Aid donation form when they leave the goods and on resale an extra 25pence in the pound can be claimed from the Inland Revenue.

Gail Phillips, Area Manager for shops said, “Why not have a pre-Spring clearout of unwanted clothes, gifts, shoes and bric-a-brac, which is not only therapeutic but will help to raise much needed funds for the Hospice. Call in, take time to browse around our flagship High Street store and then relax with a coffee and delicious cake in our newly opened Coffee Stop on the first floor, alongside the Book stop, a haven for book lovers.”

The Coffee Stop opened in November and is proving popular with shoppers, students and local businesses. Simon Henwood, Business Manager at the Hospice added, “We are constantly receiving positive feedback from visitors to the Coffee Stop which is bright and airy, comfy and offers a range of coffees, teas, cakes and snacks. It would provide a suitable venue for small groups of 6 – 8 people who meet up on a regular basis during the afternoon for a chat or a committee meeting. Enquiries can be made to Hilary during opening hours Monday – Saturday 9am – 3.30pm”.