A hospice charity has confirmed the closure of one of its 25 storefronts, citing financial difficulties as the reason for shuttering the shop. The Helen & Douglas House charity shop in Market Place, Wokingham, will not see the lease on its shop renewed. Representatives for the charity, founded in 1982, confirmed the closure earlier this week.
Katie Stuart-Cox, director of retail and trading at Helen & Douglas House, said maintaining the store is "no longer financially viable" for the charity. She confirmed to Wokingham Today: "Sadly it is no longer financially viable to keep our Wokingham shop open. Helen & Douglas House has had a retail presence in the town for a number of years, and the decision to close the shop has not been taken lightly."
Stuart-Cox added: "I wish to acknowledge and thank the valued contribution of our wonderful staff and volunteers and thank our customers for supporting Helen & Douglas House. There are no plans for any more shop closures at this time."
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The Wokingham store had one permanent member of staff and several volunteers who have been affected by the closure. The charity shuttering its Wokingham location means that the nearest Helen & Douglas House charity shop for residents is now found in Woodley.
Those affected by the closure were informed of the decision and are being supported by the charity as they seek new roles. Wokingham Today confirmed that the Helen & Douglas House Wokingham store team is "being supported by the charity, including help with sourcing alternative volunteering roles within the organisation or local community".
The charity, which supports families with terminally ill children, has about 25 second-hand stores across the country.
The property at 13 Market Place is privately owned, and last changed hands for what is understood to be in the region of £600,000 at an investment property auction in March 2024.
Helen & Douglas House opened its first storefront in 2003 in Oxford's Covered Market. A further 30 shops were established across Oxfordshire and surrounding counties in the years to follow. Her Majesty The Queen became patron of Helen & Douglas House in 2007. The late royal would visit the newly renovated Helen House in 2021
Helen & Douglas House has been contacted for comment.
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