Amy Kwil, Wills and Probate Solicitor at our Huddersfield branch popped down to Kirkwood Hospice’s charity shop on Byram Street in Huddersfield to speak to the team there.
Donna Weston, Head of Retail for Kirkwood Hospice’s charity shops said “we have been overwhelmed with donations since we started to re-open our shops. People have used lockdown to have a good clear out and have very kindly held on to their donations whilst we’ve been closed. The donations we have received have been amazing.”
“Just before we started to reopen our 21 shops, we began a collection service which proved to be very popular. We’re still offering this service, so if people would like us to collect their donations, they can call us on 01484 557917.
“One of our main challenges now is that we have to quarantine donations for 72 hours, so we do have to manage the level of donations that we take in from a storage perspective. Our supporters have been really understanding.”
We asked Donna if they had received any memorable items. “The one that stands out,” she said “was a world cup sticker book from the 1970’s. We sold this on eBay for over £1,000! It’s amazing what people are willing to donate!”
Whilst the increase in donations has given a boost to Kirkwood, other fundraising that the charity would have received through their programme of community events has suffered, as events have been cancelled. The main event of the year is the Midnight Memory Walk which usually contributes in the region of £150k. There are plans in place to do this as a ‘virtual walk’ in October.
Nevertheless, the excellent service provided by Kirkwood has continued throughout the pandemic. “We have had to adapt some of the services we provide” said Jim Coward, Media & Marketing Manager at Kirkwood.
“We have worked really hard to keep in touch with patients by phone and have conducted ‘virtual consultations’ when required. We’re doing everything we can to keep our patients safe and are working hard to ensure people continue to receive the very best, compassionate care – they deserve nothing less.”
Amy from our Huddersfield branch, is working with Kirkwood to provide a free will writing service for Hospice staff. “The staff at the hospice provide much needed support to many local families and so we are keen to help them where we can. Having a will is even more important in current times and so I will be visiting the hospice to provide this free service to staff. “
Amy Kwil with Shop Manager Maxine Wallis outside Kirkwood’s charity shop on Byram Street.
