The shops have been busy readying their windows for Valentine’s Day…some fantastic ideas taking shape.
Here at Barrow Shop we’ve really tried to embrace the theme…’This Valentine’s Day…Love Your Hospice’…with our oversized heart in Forget Me Not colours 😊
We’ve been out and about…talking to volunteers…staff and the many people who use our services and it has been the most amazing…humbling experience!
I think everyone knows the hospice is loved…appreciated and respected, but it’s only when you start having these conversations that you realise the depth of it…Wow…I mean WOW! It’s just a totally different level to what you imagine!
#CloseToYourHeart
#LoveYourHospice
Volunteers are the backbone of St Mary’s Hospice…we wouldn’t be here, doing the work we do without their wonderful support.
Shared below are some of the reasons why they chose to volunteer for the hospice…
#CloseToYourHeart
#LoveYourHospice
#VolunteerHere2018
A great response to our ‘Close To Your Heart’ blog…it’s great to have so many people willing to share, a big thank you to those that have contributed so far…we’d love to hear from more of you so don’t be afraid to comment…message via Facebook or drop into one of the shops.
I thought I’d share this beautiful poem written and sent in by Lauren.
If you’re feeling creative…and brave why not try writing your own?
#CloseToYourHeart
#LoveYourHospice
…a calm descended and a plan was formed…
The plan it turns out…was pretty simple…because it’s something that happens naturally all the time…we just don’t necessarily talk about it…we just feel it and accept it.
So…on the run up to this Valentine’s Day we would like you to think about why the hospice is close to your heart…not just think about it…but share it with us…let’s have a bit of shop chatter!
The number of people I speak to in a working day…customers…people dropping off donations…volunteers…all expressing their love…gratitude…affection for St Mary’s Hospice so naturally…wouldn’t it be great to share it…to tell the world how awesome the hospice…it’s volunteers…shops…staff and support groups are?
How can you get involved…that’s the easy bit…send us a message or a picture on Facebook…leave a comment on WordPress…drop into one of the shops.
Let’s start the conversation now…
#CloseToYourHeart
You know how sometimes you start thinking about things…then your mind goes off at a tangent and leads you elsewhere…you drift back and forth and suddenly you realise that all of these random thoughts are related…that something links them all…that light bulb moment!
First week of January and I start noticing Valentine’s displays popping up in all the high street shops…shock…horror…Valentines…but I’m still finishing off the Christmas cake!!!
After my initial shock I start to panic…what can the hospice shops do for Valentine’s…how can we make our displays different…special?
I started thinking then…what does Valentine’s Day even mean…and is that the same for everybody…so I asked Google (doesn’t everybody?)…what does it mean?
Of course I ended up with a plethora of definitions but my favourite one was this;
Valentine – Something (such as a movie or a piece of writing) expressing uncritical praise or affection (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/valentine.)
And then the penny dropped…Valentine’s Day…it’s about love and caring…and then I knew…the only thing that needs to be expressed in our shop windows this February is the love that flows in abundance for St Mary’s Hospice.
Great idea…stop right there brain…but no…the thoughts kept coming! So much love for the hospice…one day was never going to be enough…what else could we do? My mind was abuzz with ideas…from the sublime to the ridiculous…but then it all started to take shape…a calm descended and a plan was formed…
It may be cold outside but a visit to St Mary’s Hospice Shop, Barrow will make you forget all about the weather!
With clothing…shoes and handbags only £1 you’ll be in too much of a hurry grabbing bargains to notice the weather!
Where else can you buy a full outfit…including accessories for £5?
#LoveYour£Thing
You remember Colin our cheeky chiminea…lovingly created by apprentices from Furness College…and the star of our recent blind auction?
I’m happy to tell you he has found his forever home…the winning bid raised £100 for St Mary’s Hospice…how great is that?
Colin’s new owner would like to remain anonymous but assured me he will be loved by all the family. They knew as soon as they set eyes on him that he was the chiminea for them…ecstatic scenes ensued when they found out they were taking him home!
Thank you to everyone who joined in the fun and placed a bid…I’m sure you will join me in wishing Colin and his new family many cosy…fun-filled years together.
If you think that St Mary’s Hospice retail is just about physical shops it’s time to think again…we’re so much more than just shops!
Yes you can find us on the high street of Barrow…Dalton…Grange…Millom and Ulverston…and our shops are amazing…but that’s not where it ends!
We sell online through our Ebay shop…hospiceofstmaryoffurness…available 365 days of the year, 24 hours a day…how great is that?
Purchasing books and DVD’s online through Amazon…if you click ‘all selling options’ you could find yourself purchasing from St Mary’s…that’s so awesome isn’t it!
Remember when buying from St Mary’s Hospice not only do you end up owning something you wanted…but you’re helping support hospice services too! How amazing is that?
Every purchase you make helps us care…
£1.50 covers the average petrol cost for a Hospice at Home visit.
£3.50 covers the cost of a hearty breakfast on our Inpatient unit.
£19.00 covers the cost of one hour of patient care.
So next time you click ‘add to basket’ take a minute to contemplate…what you are doing is so much more than what you are purchasing.
It’s not just about shopping either…follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news…it couldn’t be easier!
Facebook…Retail At St Mary’s Hospice
Instagram…More than just shops
Take a look…like…follow and share.
That’s right…our blind auction finishes Monday 8th January…if you want your garden parties to be the talk of the town then you need this cheeky little chiminea!
You know what to do…stick your bid in an envelope and pop it into the Ulverston shop…if you can’t get there but would like to bid contact us on Facebook and we’ll work out a way you can!
Who wouldn’t want Colin (I couldn’t help naming him!)warming up their patio?
Shop Chatter 