Meet the team behind Overgate Hospice's charity shops

Whether you’re a bargain hunter or an environmentally conscious shopper, charity shops are at the heart of the British high street, raising vital funds for countless causes.

And with 14 charity shops across Calderdale, Overgate Hospice knows how beneficial these shops can be and is firmly rooted in our local community.

Last year over £1.4million was raised by its chain of stores, the equivalent of providing palliative care for 144 days.

Wendy Young works as a retail support assistant for the Overgate shops: “Because we’re so involved with the community and have shops all across Calderdale, people know us as the local hospice. The majority of people that walk through the door know someone that has been helped by Overgate.

"The support we get from the community makes the world of difference. Without the donations and people buying stuff the hospice wouldn’t get the money it needs to keep its doors open.”

Kay Clarke manages the hospice’s Little Stars shop in Elland. It sells pre-loved baby and maternity gear, providing an affordable alternative for expecting parents.

“You get mums coming in that have just found out that they’re having a baby and then a few years down the line they come in with toddlers that run around the shop.

“Having a baby can be really expensive and some people don’t have a lot of disposable income. This shop is a lifeline for local community.

“The first pram that I ever sold has come back and been sold twice over. People want to bring stuff back and give it a new home,” said Kay.

Retired nurse Maria Sutcliffe has volunteered at the Elland shop for just over a year.

Maria believes that Little Stars shop can help families that are worried about the cost of Christmas.

“I’ve seen people get into debt at Christmas because they want their children to have lovely presents when they don’t have the funds.

“But with this shop they can have those lovely things, it just might not come in its original box,” she said.

Brandon Love started volunteering at the Brighouse furniture store two years ago and was recently offered a paid position as a retail support assistant.

“My mum worked at the hospice as a cook. At the time I wasn’t being very proactive and my mum got me a volunteer gig here to get me out of the house.”

Brandon says that people from all walks of life come into the shop.

“We get all sorts coming in, from people wanting to kit out their first home to people wanting a cheap sofa because the cat has scratched up their other one. There’s such a variety of stuff we get in stock from flat pack IKEA stuff to antique bits.

“We once had a three piece Ercol suite in. It was practically brand new and we managed to sell it for £650. It would have gone for thousands new though.”

As well as helping to fund the hospice, the local shop also provides valuable work experience for young people. Ryan Walmsley started volunteering at the Brighouse store three months ago.

“My Grandma passed away at the Hospice. I decided to help the charity out because of how much they did for my Grandma. It’s also helping me build up my skills and confidence to help me get a job in the future,” he said.

In other news, Hipperholme welcomed its new Overgate charity shop earlier this month.

Tracey Broadbent, Head of Retail at Overgate, said: “We continue to be amazed by the incredible support we receive from the Calderdale community, donating items and spending their money in our shops.

“We are really excited to be opening another charity shop and hope that we can raise even more money to provide the very best care for the people of Calderdale.”

The new store is located at 3 Co-op Parade, Denholme Gate Road, Hipperholme. It sells a range of pre-loved and new donated items including: clothes, accessories, bric-a-brac, small electrical goods, furniture, CDs, books and toys.

All of the money raised by the shop will go directly to Overgate Hospice and fund their vital end of life support for patients.

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The charity also has shops in Halifax, Elland, Brighouse, Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, King Cross, Ovenden, West Vale and Illingworth.

Could you help Overgate?

All of the charity’s shops rely heavily on the support of their 500 strong team of volunteers.

The charity is currently looking for more donations and for people to volunteer at the Hipperholme shop.

For more details on volunteering for Overgate visit their website or call 014222 379151 or email [email protected].