SHOPPERS in Balsall Common will be able to help raise vital funds for the Birmingham Hospice when a brand new charity shop opens in the village.
The store, on Kenilworth Road in the centre of the village, is set to open early in the new year, selling a range of good-quality pre-loved goods.
As well as providing employment through two paid positions – a shop manager and a relief assistant manager – there will also be volunteering opportunities for local residents.
The charity will also take on around 30 regular volunteers including shop floor assistants, merchandisers, stock sorters and till operators.
The new store will complement the hospice’s existing stores across the local area, including the popular boutique-style store in nearby Dorridge.
All play a crucial role in supporting the community, enabling more local people living with a terminal diagnosis to receive the specialist end-of-life care they need.
This year marks 30 years since the charity’s first shop opened in Selly Oak in Birmingham to help fund its vital work providing expert care for those with life-limiting illnesses in the Second City, Solihull, Sutton Coldfield and Sandwell.
Each year, after NHS funding, the charity must raise £5.5million from fund-raising and voluntary donations to provide its care with its shops making a big contribution to this total.
Jonathan Varley, head of retail for Birmingham Hospice, said everyone was delighted the store would be opening in Balsall Common.
“Our charity shops play a crucial role in fund-raising for the hospice, as well as promoting sustainability by selling good-quality items which might otherwise be thrown away.
“We also provide employment and volunteering opportunities with a great chance of progression – many of our volunteers have gone on to secure jobs as a result of working with us, and some have even moved into paid positions in our shops, as managers and assistant managers.”
Details of volunteering positions and opportunities to donate stock will be posted on the hospice’s website at birminghamhospice.org.uk and at facebook.com/birminghamhospice – the charity’s Facebook page.
