Hospice encourages buying preloved with Second-Hand September

AT St Margaret’s Hospice Care, it’s Second-Hand September with the charity encouraging the people of Somerset to shop, donate and choose pre-loved.

Throughout the month, St Margaret’s is celebrating everything second-hand and highlighting the difference choosing pre-loved can make by helping the environment while raising vital funds for local hospice care.

Giving clothes, furniture and other items another lease of life helps reduce waste while generating income to support patients and families across the county.

With 32 charity shops across the county, St Margaret’s stocks an array of unique items for your wardrobe, furniture and home, including clothes, shoes, accessories, decorations, kids books and toys, and much more.

In August alone, St Margaret’s shops saved more than 130,000kg from going to landfill - roughly the weight of 11 double-decker buses.

Retail marketing coordinator, Dani Loader, said: “September for me represents a time for change: the weather starts to turn, a new academic year begins, and it makes the perfect opportunity to change your shopping habits.

“There’s a real sense of satisfaction in finding something you’ve been looking for secondhand, often at a fraction of its original price.

“Our shops are truly a haven of quality, pre-loved items, where you never know what you will find.

“Most importantly, when you shop or donate with St Margaret’s, you’re helping our hospice continue to care for people across Somerset.”

St Margaret’s shops play an important role in funding hospice care. It costs around £15 million a year to provide the charity’s services, with the majority of its income needing to be raised through the generosity and support of the local community.

That support helps St Margaret’s provide specialist hospice care free of charge to patients and their families.

Its teams care for people with life-limiting illnesses across Somerset, with 95 percent of care delivered out in people’s homes and living spaces.