Charity with 17 stores announces closure of below town centre shop after 30 years

A beloved charity shop in the centre of a busy UK town is set to close. The charity, which has 16 other sites, confirmed it will shut one of its oldest stores after 30 years on the high street.

The Treetops Hospice shop in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, opened in 1995 and has since offered pre-loved items at discounted prices. It raised over £115,000 during its first 10 years, but earlier this week, it was announced that the shop would close. A spokesperson said the store is now unable to raise the "vital funds needed for our hospice care." They thanked all of the volunteers and customers for their support.

As reported by Derbyshire Live, a Treetops Hospice spokesperson said: "It’s with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of our Long Eaton charity shop.

"We’re incredibly grateful to our amazing shop managers, volunteers, and loyal customers who’ve supported us over the years.

"Unfortunately, the current location hasn’t allowed us to raise the vital funds needed for our hospice care — the main mission behind all our shops.

"We'll continue to keep an eye on suitable locations within the town, and if something becomes available, we hope to be able to make a return."

The charity, which supports patients and families in palliative care, has 16 other sites across Derbyshire. They include shops in Oakwood, Allestree, Allenton, Ashbourne, Chaddesden and Duffield.

The latest closure comes after major UK charity Scope announced the closure of 77 of its 138 stores. Around 200 retail staff and 2,000 volunteers will be impacted by the closures over the next 18 months.

A report from the Charity Retail Association (CRA) states that UK retailers said "this is the worst time for trading they have ever encountered". It added that shops would "unlikely come out of this 100% unscathed".

CRA’s directors said: "We’ve already seen a significant reduction in the shop estate of one of our most experienced and sizable members – Scope – and anecdotally we’re aware that there are others of our larger members in particular who are considering similar action.

"There appears to be a bit of a perfect storm at the moment, with income being relatively flat, and cost pressures being almost unprecedented. These two factors are combining to hit profitability in a way that most charity retailers have rarely seen before."