Saturday 23rd July saw the opening of a brand new vintage fashion and home accessories shop in Harpenden. ”Love to Give” located at 7 Piggottshill Lane, Southdown will stock stylish and affordable women’s clothing and accessories as well as an array of beautiful vintage home ware treasures such as mirrors, pressed glass, jewellery boxes and soaps. The new shop is targeted at ethically aware females aged 16+ who are seeking good quality, fashionable clothes at value for money prices. The shop will offer an intimate shopping experience in a stylish environment and will be staffed by volunteers with excellent customer service skills and product knowledge.
”Love to Give” is a brand new concept being launched by the Hospice of St Francis. It is the first shop of its kind in the area and a first for the hospice which has 6 other traditional charity shops in Berkhamsted and surrounding towns.
Our flagship shop on Berkhamsted’s High Street will soon undergo a facelift and will also feature the new ”Love to Give” style of branding and products on offer. And the popular interior design and gift boutique No 20 on the Lower Kings Road has also been brought bang uptodate with a modern new exterior and new signage.
To stock these new shops we are in need of quality designer and vintage donations, so do please scour your wardrobes for any hidden treasures you may have stashed away that you think you could donate to us.
Retail Director Jackie Robinson commented: ”We are thrilled to be opening a shop in Harpenden and are particularly pleased that it is the venue for our brand new concept. Our market research shows that Harpenden residents are fashion conscious females who will welcome the feel good factor of purchasing from a shop whose funds will go towards a good cause like our hospice.”
Jackie continued: ”Love to Give is a brand new concept tapping into the current trend of women being fed up with throw away fashion. The modern woman wants something that has longevity of style and she can feel good about wearing. As the retail landscape is becoming ever more competitive we are aiming to stay ahead of the game with this brand new charity shop concept. We look forward to welcoming the ladies of Harpenden.”
”The age of the impulse purchase is over. Women are more canny about spending money these days. We are no longer brand addicts - one third have swapped costly fashion labels for budget clothes - one quarter seek out vintage finds in charity shops” Good Housekeeping Survey June 2011
Harpenden resident Morray McMillan has first hand experienced of the care offered by the Hospice of St Francis following a stay on the Inpatient Unit: ”I can’t say enough good words about the care I received during my stay at the hospice. The entire staff was wonderful. I got to know everyone, from the cleaners to the kitchen staff, the maintenance man and the nurses and doctors on every level were all absolutely marvellous. They truly offer an exceptional standard of care.”
”I was not in a good state when I arrived and I didn’t have to worry about anything which really helped me relax.”
The Hospice of St Francis cares for those who have a life limiting condition in its purpose built building in Berkhamsted, at home and in its Day Care Therapy Unit. It also supports families. All the services it provides are free of charge but in order to be able to provide this care to the local community, the hospice must raise around £3.6million every year.
The Hospice provides specialist expertise to anyone who needs it but it costs £100k to fund just one bed for a year. It currently only has 12 out of 14 beds which are open.
Berkhamsted based Hospice of St Francis is the only inpatient unit with special facilities that allow patients to be cared for 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
