A charity that provides palliative care will close two of its shops next week as it faces financial challenges.
Garden House Hospice Care, which has 11 shops in total according to its website, announced this week that its outlet in Fairfield, Bedfordshire and fashion boutique called Threads in Hitchin, Hertfordshire would shut permanently next Wednesday.
The charity said: “Over the past year, we have worked hard to improve performance across our retail estate through investment, marketing, pricing reviews and operational changes.
“While this has delivered improvements in many areas, Fairfield and Threads have continued to face financial challenges.”
According to its accounts for the year to 31 March 2025, the charity showed that it received a total of £2.45m from “shops and fundraising sales” income, against £2.51m of “shop expenditure”.
The charity reported its third consecutive overall operating deficit in the same accounts, with an income of £8.4m against an expenditure of £10.5m.
In its recent statement, the charity said: “Our charity shops have one clear purpose: to make a profit for Garden House Hospice Care.
“The income they generate helps us provide vital care and support for patients, families and people across our community who need us.
“To protect that care, we have to make sure our retail operation is financially sustainable and that our resources are focused where they can have the greatest impact.”
According to the charity, it had tried “a number of different approaches” to make the shops successful, but they ultimately proved unsuccessful.
The staff employed by both shops are also at risk of losing their jobs, witht the charity saying that the “affected colleagues have been spoken to directly and are being supported through the formal consultation process.”
“Throughout this process, our priority is to treat everyone affected fairly and with dignity, compassion and respect,” they said.
