Kilos of Compassion: Pilgrims Hospices hosts exciting Kilo Sale at St. Peter Church Hall, Canterbury
Pilgrims Hospices retail shops are thrilled to announce their upcoming Kilo Sale on Saturday, February 17, at St. Peter’s Church Hall in Canterbury, CT1 2BE. Following the tremendous success of previous events, this sale promises to be a treasure trove for bargain hunters and eco-conscious shoppers alike.
Pilgrims Hospices has been organising kilo sales as part of its commitment to sustainable and community-driven initiatives. The concept revolves around offering pre-loved items at affordable prices, which are purchased at £5 per kilo, promoting a circular economy and reducing environmental impact. These sales have not only proven to be a hit among local residents but have also played a crucial role in supporting the vital work of Pilgrims Hospices.
Shoppers will be welcomed by Pilgrims retail staff and volunteers, and they can browse and shop at their leisure. When ready, shoppers’ can bring the goods to be weighed, and they will be charged by the kilo. Attendees can expect a diverse range of high-quality items, including clothing, accessories, and household goods, all priced by weight. The Kilo Sale provides an excellent opportunity for attendees to find unique treasures while contributing to a worthy cause.
Pilgrims Hospices is a local charity dedicated to providing compassionate care and support to individuals facing life-limiting illnesses. The funds raised from the Kilo Sale will directly contribute to sustaining the hospice’s essential services and programs.
“We are thrilled to invite the community to our upcoming Kilo Sale at St. Peter’s Church Hall,” said Mandy Hawkett, Retail Area Manager at Pilgrims Hospices. “These events have not only been a tremendous success in the past but also align with our commitment to environmental sustainability. By giving pre-loved items a second life, we not only reduce waste but also create a positive impact on our community and the planet.
“Come along and pick from a huge range of pre-loved items for just £5 per kilo. Bags are provided. This event is free to attend, but donations are welcome.”
Mandy added, “Please tell your friends and join us for some bargain hunting along our stock rails. My team is looking forward to welcoming everyone to our special event.”
The Kilo Sale at St. Peter’s Church Hall, Canterbury, CT1 2BE, promises to be a fun-filled day of shopping, socialising, and supporting a worthwhile cause. Pilgrims Hospices encourages everyone to join in the excitement on Saturday, February 17, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and discover the joy of sustainable shopping.
Pilgrims Hospices is a local charity dedicated to providing palliative care and support to individuals facing life-limiting illnesses. With a commitment to compassionate care, the organisation aims to enhance the quality of life for patients and their families. To learn more, visit www.pilgrimshospices.org.
11th April 2023
UNFRAMED mural festival and art trail arrives in Ashford
Follow the Ashford UNFRAMED 2023 art trail this April half term, and be amazed by the murals created by national and local artists, who have transformed blank walls in Ashford town centre, into a sea of colour and creativity.
Kate Duddell from Pilgrims’ fundraising team with Chris Dixon from Ashford Borough Council / Mural art by Will Redgrove on Pilgrims’ Ashford General shop
Sue Sharp with artist Will Redgrove
At the UNFRAMED launch, Sue Sharp, Pilgrims Hospices Director of Income Generation and Marketing, met mural artist Will Redgrove, painter of Pilgrims Hospices shop on Castle Street with his interpretation of the work of Pilgrims. The masterpiece depicts three blue tits representing the three Pilgrims Hospices; a ribbon in flight within a field of bluebells, forget-me-nots and sunflowers. A meaningful and peaceful representation of everlasting love, memory and care, which, is at the heart of Pilgrims Hospices’ vision.
Visitors to the festival can download a map, scan a QR code at each site, or pick up a physical map from Coachworks, Low Key Tap Room, Picturehouse or Made in Ashford and wander around the town centre immersing themselves in the street art and learning more about each piece.
The mural festival is running from Saturday 1 April to Sunday 16 April 2023, with arts workshops, street dance and film screenings available to all visitors.
Keep up with all the latest updates as they happen and watch the progress of the artwork being created by following @ashfordunframedon Instagram.
Pilgrims Hospices care 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.
9th March 2023
UNFRAMED, Ashford’s first mural festival is coming to the town centre and a Pilgrims Hospices shop near you!
Pilgrims Hospices are proud to be one of 14 special locations taking part in Ashford’s first mural festival, UNFRAMED!
Ashford will be turned into a vibrant masterpiece as a number of national and local artists take to its streets to transform blank walls into a sea of colour and creativity. All of the murals are in close proximity of each other around the town centre and will be part of the UNFRAMED art trail for local residents and visitors to enjoy.
Curated by street art and mural experts Accent London and The London Mural Company, artists include Mr Doodle, Alex Chinneck, Charley Peters, Will Redgrove, Curtis Hylton, Andy Welland, and many more.
Pilgrims Hospices’ location will be at one of its charity retail stores and its well-loved Castle Street shop will be the canvas. Here, a spectacular and themed artwork will be revealed and has been curated by Will Redgrove in association with the hospice team.
The painting will be one of the last to be curated, just before the art trail formerly opens to the public.
The charity have worked closely with the artist, Will Redgrove, to ensure that the design has hospice meaning and resonates with trail viewers, whilst also showing nature in a vibrant and bold setting.
Pilgrims Hospices representative, Kate Duddell, said: “At its heart, Pilgrims Hospices is dedicated to ensuring people living with an incurable illness can access the quality care and comfort they deserve. Our environment is so important and we wanted to work closely with Will to ensure that this masterpiece has meaning and the elements represent what the hospice is all about, yet in an abstract way.”
Nature is the focus of the Pilgrims mural and it’s nothing new that spending time in the great outdoors and within a natural setting does wonders for our physical health and mental wellbeing. With all these benefits, it’s little wonder why nature is the focus of the Pilgrims artwork. It is a meaningful representation of everlasting love, gratitude, respect, memory and care, which the natural symbols within the artwork represent; all of which are important in Pilgrims’ daily work in caring for the east Kent community at the end of life.
Kate added: “People think that hospices are sad places, but really they are places to help our patients live fully and well in the time that they have. Our welcoming facilities and gardens enable families, carers and patients to have a brighter and inspiring setting for their care. Hospices aren’t places to be fearful of – they’re places that remove fears within natural and safe surroundings.”
Visitors to the festival will be able to download a map, scan a QR code at each site, or pick up a physical map from Coachworks, Low Key Tap Room, Picturehouse or Made in Ashford and wander around the town centre immersing themselves in the street art and learning more about each piece.
The mural festival will run from Saturday 1 April to Sunday 16 April 2023, with arts workshops, street dance and film screenings available to all visitors.
Keep up with all the latest updates as they happen and watch the progress of the artwork being created by following @ashfordunframedon Instagram.
Pilgrims Hospices care 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.
7th March 2023
The positive impact of Pilgrims Hospices shops
Pilgrims Hospices has 31 shops across east Kent where we sell the generous donations we receive, and our shops have many positive impacts.
Firstly, they help to provide the much-needed funds that support the work of the hospices across east Kent. This is, of course, our primary objective, and we are very proud that each year we are able to grow the contribution we make to the hospices. Our shops will have a turnover of over £5m in 2023, which is a huge help to the hospices.
Each year, we sell around 1.3m items through our shops, many of which would end up in landfill if it wasn’t for charity shops. Of course, not everything is fit for sale, so we sell some stock to textile recyclers, who then sort it and sell it on to other countries or recycle it. Each year, we sell over 250 tonnes of ‘rag textiles’, which would otherwise end up in waste streams.
The shops also form part of their local communities and are a welcoming place for people to volunteer. Volunteering is cited as having a really positive impact on mental health, as it makes people feel good about what they are doing, provides company and conversation, and offers the chance to learn new skills.
Pilgrims’ Kilo Sale event, May 2022
As people move away from fast fashion due to the negative environmental impact it has, sustainable fashion is becoming increasingly popular. Charity shops have always been advocates of sustainable fashion, and people are now more comfortable buying pre-loved fashion than ever before; 54% of people in the UK are happy to purchase pre-loved or vintage clothing. As the demand for sustainable fashion grows, we are going to need even more stock in our shops!
A recent survey by the organisation WRAP* found that almost half of us buy new clothing at least once per month, and around half of the new garments bought are either never worn or only worn once or twice. This is a shocking statistic, but one that is of particular interest to Pilgrims Retail. The report goes on to say that, on average, each UK adult has 118 items of clothing in their wardrobe, and that 26% of those items have not been worn for over a year, and are likely never to be worn again.
Just imagine how useful those unworn, unloved items of clothing would be to our shops! We could turn them into funds for our hospices.
How about having a declutter for Pilgrims? Our shops would welcome your donations. We especially need items of clothing, small electricals (that are working), toys, household items (ornaments, kitchen goods, dinnerware etc.) and furniture.
*WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) is a climate action NGO working around the globe to tackle the causes of the climate crisis and give the planet a sustainable future.
Each year, Pilgrims Hospices give care and comfort to thousands of people in east Kent coming to terms with an illness that sadly cannot be cured. The charity supports patients to live life as well as possible until the very end, free from pain and distress. Care is provided from three hospice sites in Ashford, Canterbury and Thanet, as well as in patients’ own homes. To offer these services to patients and their families the charity must raise £11 million each year from the generous local community.
9th February 2023
Step into a new Spring wardrobe with Pilgrims Hospices’ Sandwich shop
The Sandwich shop team, L-R:
Sandra Culver, Bridie Dodson, Angela Curtis and Louise Harris
The shop will hold a Brand New with Tags event between 23 February – 2 March 2023, when shoppers will be able to purchase new, unworn high street brand items at charity shop prices. These popular events have been running at Pilgrims’ shops across east Kent for several years, enabling the local community to bag a bargain whilst raising vital funds for hospice care.
Some of the original Sandwich shop team
Jenny Byrne works as Area Support Manager across all 31 Pilgrims’ shops. Her role is varied, and includes helping to streamline shop operations by moving stock, merchandising and working on specific projects, including the Brand New with Tags events.
Jenny Byrne, Area Support Manager
The Sandwich shop is managed by Bridie Dodson, a Sandwich local, and Louise Harris from Wingham, who are supported by a dedicated volunteer team including Sandra Culver and Angela Curtis. Both Sandra and Angela’s husbands were cared for by Pilgrims; their first-hand experiences inspired them to support the charity.
Angela, a former nurse, midwife and health visitor, said: “What I love about volunteering is seeing regular customers and being part of a team; everyone is supportive and so lovely. I enjoy giving something back, it’s so important. I would tell anyone to give it a go; come in and grab a volunteering form, we would love to have you!”
Jenny added: “Thank you to all our kind and generous supporters; you have enabled us to put on this fabulous Brand New with Tags event at our Sandwich store. We are all looking forward to seeing you when our door opens on 23 February and feel sure you’ll bag a bargain.”
These are just some of the items and outfits that will be available during the event:
Uniqlo ribbed jacket
River Island necklace
Great Plains black and white embroidered dress
Pure wrap top
Topshop tunic dress
Per Una jacket with Alice Rinaldi silk blend daisy top and Red Herring jeans
Per Una jacket with Alice Rinaldi silk blend daisy top and Red Herring jeans BNWT price: Under £45
Topshop tunic dress New: £36 / BNWT price: £12
Pure wrap top New: £70 / BNWT price: £23.50
Great Plains black and white embroidered dress New: £65 / BNWT price: £22
River Island necklace New: £16 / BNWT price: £5.50
Uniqlo ribbed jacket New: £40 / BNWT price: £13
The shop’s Brand New with Tags event will run from Thursday 23 February – Thursday 2 March 2023; visit pilgrimshospices.org/sandwich-bnwt for full details.
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.
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.
