Tree-mendous news, Pilgrims Hospices Christmas Tree Recycling is returning to Canterbury, Ashford and Thanet this festive season.
The environmentally-friendly fundraising initiative makes saying farewell to your festive fir as easy as possible, so that you can enjoy a hassle-free end of the festive period, in the knowledge that you are supporting a much-loved local charity.
Help Pilgrims to take care of the planet and hospice patients one tree at a time!
All you have to do is register on Pilgrims’ website and make a donation of your choice. Pilgrims’ volunteer elves will collect your real tree from your doorstep, where it will continue on a journey to be recycled.
There’s no need to mess up your car with pine needles, Pilgrims volunteers will do all the hard work for you and, in return, you will be helping to support the vital end-of-life care of local people through your donation.
Kate Duddell, Pilgrims Hospices Fundraising Manager said: “It’s really important to dispose of your real tree in a sustainable way. We are grateful for the support of Canterbury City Council, the incredible ongoing support of Ashford Borough Council, who have now supported the campaign for 11 years, Thanet District Council, and the huge number of volunteers, and local businesses who give up their time to help us raise vital funds in early January. Our last, and first, Christmas Tree Recycling campaign raised in excess of an amazing £42,000 and more than 2,250 real trees were collected by Pilgrims Hospices across east Kent. We hope the lovely and supportive local community will do the same again this year.”
Canterbury area
The doorstep collections will take place between 6 – 9 January 2023, but you need to register by midnight on Monday 2 January to book your collection. If you live in Canterbury, Sturry, Chartham, Bridge, Herne Bay, Chestfield, Whitstable, Seasalter or surrounding villages within the Canterbury City Council area, Pilgrims’ elves will come and collect your real Christmas tree!
Ashford area
The doorstep collections will take place between 14 – 16 January 2023, but you need to register by midnight on Monday 9 January to book your collection. If you live in Ashford, Tenterden, Charing, Wye. Appledore, Chilham or surrounding villages within the Ashford Borough Council area, Pilgrims elves’ will come and collect your real Christmas tree!
Thanet area
The doorstep collections will take place between 6 – 9 January 2023, but you need to get registered by midnight on Monday 2 January to book your collection. If you live in Broadstairs, Ramsgate, Margate, Westgate-on-Sea, Birchington, St Nicholas-at-Wade, Minster or all the surrounding villages Pilgrims elves will come and collect your real Christmas tree!
Faversham drop-off recycling station
If you live outside of the Canterbury City Council area, you can still support Pilgrims Hospices and recycle your real Christmas tree. You can bring your tree to Pilgrims designated drop-station at Macknade, Faversham, ME13 8XF on Saturday 7 (9:00 – 16:00) and Sunday 8 (10:00 – 16:00) January 2023. Please book online in advance here for the drop-off station at Macknade.
The scheme is delivered with the fir-tastic support of Kent County Council (KCC) and Kent’s Household Waste and Recycling Centre (HWRC), FCC Environment, together with the local councils, all the parties are helping Pilgrims to recycle the trees; all for a good claus.
For information or images, please contact the Pilgrims Hospices Fundraising team at [email protected].
For more information about KCC, please visitkccmediahub.net.
Each year, Pilgrims Hospices give care and comfort to thousands of people in east Kent who are coming to terms with an illness that sadly cannot be cured. The charity support patients to live life as well as possible until the very end, free from pain and distress.
9th December 2022
Store50’s Sustainable Santa wins Canterbury BID’s Christmas Window Competition 2022!
Pilgrims Hospices would like to say a huge congratulations to its Store50 shop team, who won Canterbury BID’s Christmas Window Competition in December 2022.
Becky McNicoll, Store50 Supervisor, came up with the idea for Sustainable Santa, in keeping with the shop’s focus on pre-loved and recycled items that are kind to both purses and the planet. A Santa suit was donated to the team by another Pilgrims’ shop, and Amy Eldridge, Store50 Manager, and her mum Thelma set to work dressing Santa and creating the display – using rag denim and a hot glue gun!
Amy said: “Sustainable Santa felt like the right twist on Christmas for our store; with it being our first Christmas in Canterbury, we wanted to showcase our product and creativity whilst keeping with the city’s beautiful festive displays.
“The Canterbury BID judges entered us into the competition on their behalf; we had no idea, so we were completely shocked we’d won the Judges’ Favourite prize! We are all extremely proud of this achievement, not only for the store but for my wonderful staff and volunteers who all had involvement in bringing our vision to life.”
Mandy Hawkett, Area Manager, added: “I’m so proud of how the Store50 team has worked together creatively to deliver such a valuable message about sustainability via their Christmas window display.”
The team can now proudly display their winners’ certificate in the shop, and they also won a bottle of fizz and a shopping voucher for all of their hard work.
Store50 is located at 50 St. Peter’s Street, Canterbury and will be open in the run-up to Christmas.
Thank you so much to everyone who supports Pilgrims Hospices Shops; we really appreciate it, and it makes such a difference to the patients and families we care for across east Kent.
Pilgrims Hospices cares for thousands of local people each year, free of charge, during the most challenging time in their lives. They offer care and support in people’s own homes, in the community and in their inpatient units as well as running a 24-hour advice line.
6th December 2022
Pilgrims festive sale exceeds expectations
The Pilgrims Hospices Canterbury Christmas retail fair exceeded all expectations, raising an incredible £2,100 for hospice care for local people. The annual November Saturday event, took place in St Peter’s Methodist Church Hall, Canterbury where more than 150 hospice supporters, and Canterbury shoppers browsed all things Christmassy to start the festive season.
A huge thank you to everyone who came along
Charlotte – Pilgrims
Charlotte Brown, Pilgrims Retail Manager said: “We had a magical day! The wonderfully generous local community supported our festive event with donations and purchases. We had the most amazing array of Christmas merchandise, including cards, fancy dress, vintage collectables, toys and so much more.
Martin Langham, Pilgrims’ elf
“A huge thank you to everyone who came along to browse and buy, your support is truly helping to make a difference to those who need Pilgrims’ care.”
Pilgrims staff and volunteers entered into the spirit with Christmas jumpers and fancy dress, and Santa joined the merriment with gifts for the children.
Mandy Hawkett, Pilgrims Retail Area Manager said: “Christmas cheer was in abundance, the generous local community managed to raise more than £2,000 with their festive shopping at our special event.
“I really want to mention my staff and team of volunteers who made this special day happen. They’ve worked so hard to bring so many festive gifts and goodies together during the past few months.
“The children loved the Santa visit, and our very own special elf, Martin Langham from Cliftonville and Birchington Pilgrims shops, kept everyone laughing all the way!”
Pilgrims Hospices shops will be open throughout east Kent approaching Christmas, all containing fabulous stock of party wear, Christmas trinkets and more. Find a list of all Pilgrims shops here.
Pilgrims wish everyone a very merry Christmas.
Pilgrims Hospices cares for thousands of local people each year, free of charge, during the most challenging time in their lives. They offer care and support in people’s own homes, in the community and in their inpatient units as well as running a 24-hour advice line.
3rd August 2022
Store50 brings second-hand, chic and eco-friendly fashion to Canterbury
Store50 is Pilgrims Hospices’ newest shop, located at 50 St. Peter’s Street, Canterbury, in the heart of the city on its bustling high street.
By nature, charity shops are known for stocking preloved goods; Store50 is taking that a step further, aiming to make second-hand fashion affordable, chic and eco-friendly at the same time.
Opening on 4 August 2022, it will stock a diverse range of clothing for all, with a focus on “slow fashion” – an approach to producing clothing that advocates respect for people and the environment, often through reducing, reusing and recycling, rather than buying new items.
The shop will particularly appeal to Canterbury’s thriving student population, who will find trendy threads to suit their wardrobes and their budgets.
Store50 also features a dedicated denim section upstairs, a chill out area and vinyl record room downstairs, and a community board where people can leave messages about local news, events and business.
Mandy Hawkett, Pilgrims Retail Area Manager shared: “We’ve been really keen to get this initiative off the ground for some time now, and have been searching for a suitable shop. We are delighted to have secured Store50. The team has pulled together fresh ideas with innovative and creative planning to give the shop something extraordinary for shoppers to enjoy. It looks like high end fashion with all the qualities of sustainability and so much more. We are also offering students a 10% discount, so it really is worth paying us a visit.”
Amy Eldridge, Shop Manager, said: “We’re so excited to be launching this brand new charity shop for the quirky and diverse Canterbury community. We hope that by encouraging shoppers to thrift and be mindful about their purchases, we can help to build a more sustainable retail economy that benefits people and our planet. By shopping with us, you will help to stop items going to landfill, save precious pennies, and also contribute to Pilgrims’ vital services across east Kent – supporting our charity to provide compassionate care to patients and families where and when they need it the most.”
Emily Bartlett and Demi Hale, Supervisors, added: “It’s a re-envisioning of a charity shop, set apart from the mainstream and what people are used to. We hope it will be popular across different age groups, not just students – it’s perfect for the everyday shopper, too!”
Store50 is open 10:00-18:00 Monday-Saturday and 10:00-16:00 on Sundays.
Pilgrims Hospices cares for thousands of local people each year, free of charge, during the most challenging time in their lives. They offer care and support in people’s own homes, in the community and in their inpatient units as well as running a 24-hour advice line.
28th June 2022
Annie reflects on 36-year career at Pilgrims Hospices
Annie Hogben has worked for Pilgrims Hospices since 1986. Initially a nurse, she then helped to set up the Therapy Centres, and is now based within the charity’s Education team, developing volunteer roles that support patients, carers and bereaved loved ones.
In Pilgrims’ 40th birthday year, she reflects on her memories with the local hospice charity.
I started work in Canterbury hospice as a State Enrolled Nurse in May 1986. I was so keen to join the hospice team after hearing a lecture by Cicely Saunders, one of the early founders of the hospice movement, and felt it was the right place for me. When I came to the hospice, there was purely a ward, with the availability of 20 beds for patients across east Kent. Our Medical Director did home visits to support patients in the community, and as always we worked very closely with GPs, district nurses and hospital staff, to support palliative patients and their families in our local communities.
A day centre was opened a year or so later, and this operated five days a week for our community patients. This enabled patients to have an overview of their symptoms as well as engage in a variety of social and creative activities, whilst providing some worthwhile respite for their families. These centres have always been so positive, enhancing the wellbeing of patients of various ages and situations, with much shared joy and laughter.
Pilgrims has grown and developed dramatically to meet the needs of the people of east Kent, but always with the wonderful philosophy to support and come alongside patients, families and bereaved loved ones throughout the latter part of their lives.
I consider it a real privilege to have been part of this amazing team of staff and volunteers for so long.
Annie
Annie
Allied Health Care Professionals have always been such an important part of the team supporting patients, families and bereaved relatives at Pilgrims, as have volunteers, who were present on the ward, supporting staff in those early days. It is so lovely that part of my current role has been to be part of the team to reintroduce Ward Support Volunteers, which adds great value to patients and their loved ones.
I left the hospice in 1989 to continue my training and then to work on an oncology unit, the Mountbatten Centre at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital. I returned to Canterbury hospice in 1992 as a Registered Nurse on the ward. Shortly after this, the specialist community nursing team were introduced, to support community patients and families across the whole of east Kent. This invaluable service now runs throughout all three hospice sites.
I was fortunate to move into the role of Senior Staff Nurse on the ward, and throughout that time experienced many celebrations with patients on the ward, including weddings, anniversaries and other important events. The addition of the Thanet hospice allowed the growth of support services for the people of east Kent, enabling access to services in the local area and increasing the amount of beds available for those requiring in-patient care.
After having my family, I was on duty on nights for a couple of years, before finally leaving the Canterbury hospice in 2000 to move to the Ashford hospice, to set up the day services centre there. Over these past years, Pilgrims has grown and developed dramatically to meet the needs of the people of east Kent, but always with the wonderful philosophy to support and come alongside patients, families and bereaved loved ones throughout the latter part of their lives. I consider it a real privilege to have been part of this amazing team of staff and volunteers for so long.
Pilgrims Hospices opened in Canterbury in June 1982, followed by Thanet in 1992, and Ashford in 2001. That means we have a lot to celebrate this year!
If you’d like to join us to celebrate our special birthdays by donating you can visit our JustGiving or Facebook pages.
Pilgrims Hospices cares for thousands of local people each year, free of charge, during the most challenging time in their lives. They offer care and support in people’s own homes, in the community and in their inpatient units as well as running a 24-hour advice line.
Are you interested in sustainable clothing purchases? Do you love to search for that special pre-loved item in your local charity shop?
Do you think about how much high quality clothing goes to waste, landfill or lays unloved in someone’s wardrobe?
You will love Pilgrims Hospices pop-up kilo event on Saturday 28 May 2022 at St Peter’s Methodist Church Hall in Canterbury.
For those who’ve not had the experience of perusing the rails for vintage or retro clothing, pre-loved high street and some designer items, this is an awesome event not to be missed, the doors open at 10am. For just £5 per kilo, you can seek out a completely new style or find some items that will give your current wardrobe a new lease of life or a new twist in your styling.
Mandy Hawkett, Pilgrims Retail Area Manager said: “We’re very excited to bring our first ever Kilo Sale to shoppers in the Canterbury area. We are providing the bags, all customers need to do is pick their items and pop them in the bags for us to weigh. It’s only £5 per kilo and you can buy as much as you like on the day. We will have a huge variety of stock, so there’s definitely something for everyone.”
There won’t be changing facilities available at the venue, therefore taking a tape measure to check sizing would be something to think about on the day. Shoppers can pay by cash or card at the event and there will be a pop-up cafe for light refreshments too.
Mandy added: “Pilgrims charity shops are an important part of the community, providing local employment, productive volunteering opportunities to a range of age groups and stability to ailing high streets. The environmental benefits through the re-use and re-purposing of pre-loved items are hugely important. And… apart from all of these reasons, we all love to seek out that very special item at a very special price.”
Whether it’s a gentleman’s jacket, some new work gear, a branded t-shirt or something for a special occasion, we will do our best to help you find the perfect items to suit your needs.
St Peter’s Methodist Hall is on St Peter’s Street, Canterbury CT1 2BE, look out for the Kilo Sale banners outside, the event runs from 10am to 4pm.
All the money raised from the sale will help to run Pilgrims Hospices services in Canterbury, Ashford and Thanet along with supporting people to live well in their own homes.
Please come along, it’s free to come in and you are sure to find something special for you or someone in your family.
Each year Pilgrims Hospices give care and comfort to over 2,500 people in east Kent who are coming to terms with an illness that sadly cannot be cured. The charity support patients to live life as well as possible until the very end, free from pain and distress.
