Hospice charity shop voted best in region

Barnsley Hospice's Retail Hub was voted the best charity shop in the region

Staff at a charity shop run by a Barnsley hospice have thanked supporters after it was voted the region's Charity Shop of the Year.

The Retail Hub at Barnsley Hospice in Dodworth was crowned as the best in Yorkshire and the Humber after a public vote in the UK's Favourite Charity Shop Awards, run by the Charity Retail Association.

The Retail Hub opened in 2020 to sell pre-owned clothes, furniture and toys to help raise the £3.5m the hospice needs to run its services each year.

Martine Tune, CEO and chief nurse of the hospice, said: "This is really testament to the hard work undertaken by everybody involved in making our hub the success that it is."

Visitors can donate items at a drop-off point at the front desk and there are separate clothing stores for men and women, along with a furniture outlet.

Any items not deemed saleable are bagged up and sold to a local textiles recycling company, where they are used to create materials for insulation, mattress fillings, industrial wipers or even new clothing fibres.

Ms Tune said: "Our dedicated volunteers and passionate staff always strive for excellence and they have rightfully been recognised for their commitment and hard work.

"We'd like to thank everybody who voted for us and, of course, our fantastic supporters who visit us and support the vital work we do in the community.

"We couldn't deliver specialist palliative care without everybody's generosity."

More than 40,000 votes were cast by members of the public for charity shops across the UK.

Charity Retail Association chief Robin Osterley said: "The volume of support the awards received this year not only demonstrates the public's passion for their favourite stores but really shows the impact they have within their local communities and the difference they make to people's lives."

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