THE PANDEMIC has forced The Shakespeare Hospice to close its Kenilworth charity shop for good.
The charity says it is currently facing a deficit in its income due to the impact of coronavirus forcing their shops to close and the cancellation of events and community activities.
The furniture shop in Abbey End has been closed following the pandemic, despite a grand reopening only last year.
Chief executive Angie Arnold said: “Coronavirus is affecting us all and the impact is even more worrying for our patients, carers, and their families already affected by a life limiting illness, and those who are receiving end of life care. The hospice is grateful for the emergency government funding for hospices, it has been a real lifeline, but we are still facing a deficit and have to make some difficult cost saving decisions in order to protect the future sustainability of our services.
The closure of our shop will not impact our service delivery to the Kenilworth community, our nursing teams will continue to provide this vital frontline service and ensure all our patients and their families receive high quality supportive and palliative care”.
The hospice provides end of life care free of charge to anyone over the age of 18 registered to a south Warwickshire or north Cotswolds GP.
Head of clinical services Jo Poyner said: “I am really proud of the way our clinical teams have responded in these challenging times to ensure that all our patients’ needs are met.
“Last year, the Hospice at Home team of specialist palliative and end of life care Registered Nurses and Health Care Assistants received 51 new referrals from the Kenilworth area alone. The team made a total of 322 visits to patients, providing approximately 1,150 hours of care and compassionate support to patients in the comfort of their own homes, allowing them to be surrounded by their loved ones.”
Visit www.theshakespearehospice.org.uk to donate or find out more.
