Katharine House Hospice to close stores in Stone, Norton Canes and Cannock
Four Katharine House Hospice charity shops are to close their doors – including stores in Stone, Cannock and Norton Canes.
The Stafford-based hospice announced on Tuesday that it would close four of its stores due to the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It comes only days after bosses at Katharine House Hospice said had been left with no other option but to turn to the public for emergency support in an attempt to avoid becoming the latest victim of coronavirus.
The hospice needs to raise £1 million by January to allow them to bring in a new, more sustainable business model from next April.
Katharine House Hospice's shops in Stone and Littleworth will be closing next month, while dates for the closure of the Cannock Market Place and Norton Canes stores are yet to be announced.
A closing down sale has already started at the Stone store, which will close on Saturday.
The closing down sale at the Littleworth shop will start on Monday, October 12 before the store closes for good the following Saturday.
In a statement on Facebook, Katharine House Hospice said: "We are extremely sorry to announce that due to the financial impact of the pandemic four of our shops will be closing soon.
"Our Stone and Littleworth shops will be closing in October. Cannock Market Place and Norton Canes closures are to be confirmed.
"We would like to pay tribute to all our staff who have worked supremely hard during this difficult period. A huge thank you also goes out to all our customers, supporters and volunteers for such valued support over the years."
Chief executive Richard Soulsby admitted a failure to reach the £1 million target would likely mean a reduction in services Katharine House would be able to provide. Mr Soulsby said the public's support now was more crucial than ever.
To donate visit justgiving.com/campaign/savekhhospice or log on to khhospice.org.uk and click the link.
