New hospice depot open for donations in Letchworth

Garden House Hospice Care was proud to announce the grand opening of their new and improved “all under one roof” distribution centre, The Depot, on 1 December.

Richard Dearden, Garden House Hospice Care Chairman of the Trading Board, said:
“We are here today to commemorate the opening of our new distribution centre – The Depot. Thank you for joining us to mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Garden House Hospice Care.

“Some of you may have visited our old building down Green Lane, and you may be wondering why we decided to move to a different location. Whilst our old Distribution Centre served us well over the past 17 years, it became clear that it was no longer suitable for our evolving needs and ambitions.

“One of the main reasons we sought out a new premises was to provide a better workplace for our dedicated staff and volunteers. They really are a remarkable team, and they deserved a more suitable working environment. I am deeply proud that we have managed to achieve this for them – and they should all be proud of the amount of effort they have put into making this happen.

“This operation also includes our online sales team, the innovative Upcycling House, and our house clearance service – as well as supplying our 11 community-based shops. Our new Depot should make the whole operation much more efficient. And we have a new destination shop under the same roof – giving another opportunity for people in the community to shop sustainably.

“We are also in a more visible location. You really had to be looking for us to find the old Distribution Centre – but Pixmore Avenue has much more traffic, and we are right at the entrance on Protea Way, so passers-by can easily see us. We hope this will result in more awareness – which will mean more donations and more customers.

“We have always been proud of the income we raise – and The Depot will give us the potential to grow and raise more funds to provide palliative care to people in our local community. Our ambition is to raise an additional £1million pounds a year.

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to the local community for your support throughout this journey, and we can’t wait to showcase our new facilities to you.”

Carla Pilsworth, Director of Income Generation for the Hospice, added:
“None of this would have been possible without the amazing teamwork of our staff and volunteers – helping to get everything moved and in place on top on their day-to-day work. I’d like to say a big thank you to Hawkstone Builders Ltd who are great friends of the Hospice and managed to get all the internal building work turned around in just 8 weeks. I’d also like to thank Peter Wright Electrical for getting our heating installed. We couldn’t have achieved what we have without these local businesses helping us.”

The Depot is just five minutes’ walk away from the Hospice itself and will play a vital part in running our services. This is where many of our donations of pre-loved quality items are sorted and prepared ahead of distribution to our shops across Stevenage, North Herts and beyond. The money raised from the items sold then goes into the Hospice – helping us to continue providing care for local people.

John Brogan who benefits from the Hospice’s Rehab and Wellbeing service and Letchworth Hub, was invited to cut the ribbon and said:
“Thank you for inviting me to cut the ribbon, it’s an honour. I’d just like to say what a wonderful place the Hospice is – but it wouldn’t be able to exist without the support of this Depot and the shops it supplies.”

The Depot is ready to accept donations:

We accept donations Monday – Friday from 9am to 4.30pm. There’s no need to pre-book, just turn up and our friendly team of volunteers will be able to help you. There is no limit to how many bags or boxes of items that can be donated. Please note that during busy periods, we might need to change the times and days that we accept donations.

The Depot is looking for volunteers:

There are plenty of opportunities for volunteers to get involved at The Depot, with shifts throughout the week from Monday-Friday.

Volunteering is a fantastic way to develop new skills, gain experience, improve confidence and make new friends. If you are looking for a work reference or some experience to add to an application form, this could be a great opportunity for you. It could even be on a short-term basis over the summer.

You don’t need any prior experience to volunteer at The Depot, but the Hospice is looking for people interested in sorting donations for our shops, or upcycling furniture, and giving back to their local community.

If this sounds like you, the Hospice will be hosting a volunteer information session in the new year. This will be an informal session where you will get the chance to find out more about The Depot, meet some existing volunteers and sign up to a shift that works for you. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more information coming soon.

Address: The Depot, 1 Protea Way, Pixmore Avenue, Letchworth Garden City, SG6 1JT
Opening times: Monday – Friday, 9am-5pm.
Telephone: 01462 678076

04/12/2023 13:59