Fashion, furniture and online finds: Pilgrims Hospices’ Chartham store has it all
Pilgrims Hospices’ Chartham Furniture, Fashion & Home store expanded in February 2026 to include a brand-new clothing, haberdashery and children’s offering. Always busy and bustling, it’s a firm favourite in the local community, with many regulars returning again and again in their quest for a bargain.
On the shop floor, staff and volunteers accept donations, sort stock, and serve at the tills. The store also houses the charity’s e-commerce team. Behind the scenes, whilst shoppers browse beautiful homewares and pre-loved treasures, they sort through thousands of items in preparation for listing on eBay and Vinted.
But although everyone has different roles, they work together seamlessly, enjoying a cuppa and a laugh as they share a common goal – to ensure that compassionate hospice care continues to be available for families across east Kent.
Volunteers find friendship and connection at Pilgrims
Richard Cope from Chartham, affectionately nicknamed Grandad by his retail colleagues, has volunteered at the shop for six years. After retiring from his job at Nasons, a large department store in Canterbury, he wanted a role where he could still meet people and be social. Richard’s dad was cared for at the Canterbury hospice, so he has a personal connection, too.
Alongside his volunteer role, Richard is also a School Crossing Patrol (SCP) at a local primary school, helping pupils to stay safe on the school run.
He said: “I love volunteering here; it’s the same reason I enjoy being a lollipop man – I meet so many people, and everyone is friendly and chatty. It’s such a lovely environment.”
Ros Sawyers and Ieda Hogarth, both from Ashford, are regular volunteers at the shop; between them, they have contributed 46 years of dedicated service to Pilgrims. Ros started out working in the Wellbeing team at the Ashford hospice, supporting patients in the Therapy Centre, before moving into the fundraising team and helping with events.
That’s how she met Ieda, who was a fundraising volunteer.
Although both now volunteer their time in the retail team, they continue to be involved with Pilgrims events, including the annual summer and Christmas fairs.
Ros said: “The hospice is such a happy place; it’s sad at times, of course, but we always had a laugh and we gave a lot of happiness to patients and families.
“You meet people from all walks of life – that’s why I’ve always loved my roles at Pilgrims.”
Ieda added: “I’m on my own at home, and a lot of our volunteers are in the same boat – so for us, this is a great opportunity to be social.
“I’m not saying we’re all lonely, but it’s a friendship group, separate from family, and it provides a completely different outlet. Ros and I have made so many great memories over the years, it’s lovely.”
Ginevra Arnaldi joined the team in January 2026 as a Supervisor for the new clothing outlet, ahead of its opening a month later:
“I really enjoy being creative in the shop, putting together displays and arranging items; it’s lovely when customers notice, appreciate and compliment us on this!
“Everyone here is so friendly. It’s a perfect way to volunteer for anyone who’s interested in clothing and fashion. If you want to spend a few hours having fun and making a difference at the same time, this is the place for you.”
eBay, Vinted and beyond
Pilgrims has run a successful eBay shop for many years, and more recently started selling second-hand clothes on the app Vinted. They are also looking to expand to TikTok Shop in the future.
Amy Calver, a Lister within the e-commerce team, has doubled average monthly sales on Vinted in the past year, growing them by a solid 87%; Amy said a recent favourite find was a donated Max Mara bag that sold for £90 on eBay.
Gill Ramsay, Assistant e-commerce Manager, added:
“It’s an important source of revenue for Pilgrims; using these platforms, we can maximise the profit we make from donated items. We have a much bigger audience online than we do in the shop – on eBay in particular, there are 134 million active buyers worldwide. This helps us to sell collectibles and rare items that are unique, not just within the UK, but abroad as well.”
“We’re a small team and we rely heavily on volunteers to list items for us. This takes time, as we need to clean the items, research them to make sure they’re worth listing, then photograph them before uploading them online. It’s time-consuming, so even on a good day, an effective Lister can only really list about 20 items over a seven-hour period.
“We always welcome new volunteers; we just ask that they give at least three hours to get the most out of it. We’re a friendly team of all ages – from very young people, to our oldest team member who is 82! We provide full training on the computer systems, so that isn’t a barrier for anyone. It’s a fantastic opportunity to come and help us make lots of money for Pilgrims.”
Slow Fashion Soph
In July 2026, Canterbury-based social media influencer, Soph Newman – @slowfashionsoph on Instagram – spent a day volunteering with the e-commerce team. A second-hand fashion connoisseur, Soph regularly visits charity shops and makes video content about her finds:
“I’ve loved getting to learn about the eBay and Vinted process, sorting through donations in the warehouse and choosing some amazing bits – I wanted to buy everything! The team helped me to understand the picking process, and I enjoyed seeing how items get photographed and uploaded online – what the team look for and what brands sell best. I’m making my own content around this because I want people to shop with Pilgrims; it’s such an important cause.”
Follow Soph’s sustainable slow fashion journey on socials:
- Instagram: instagram.com/slowfashionsoph
- Facebook: facebook.com/slowfashionsoph
- TikTok: tiktok.com/@slowfashionsoph
- YouTube: youtube.com/@slowfashionsoph
Chartham Furniture, Fashion & Home is the newest addition to Pilgrims Hospices’ family of shops across east Kent, all offering an easy, enjoyable way to shop more sustainably while supporting compassionate end-of-life care.
Follow @pilgrimsshops_chartham on Instagram and join the shop’s Facebook group.
Don’t forget – you can also donate your pre-loved items directly at the Chartham store; and if you’re a taxpayer, Gift Aid adds an extra 25% to the value of your donation at no extra cost, helping your generosity go even further.
Find out more on our shop with us webpage:
pilgrimshospices.org/get-involved/shop-with-us
