Hannah shines with sustainable creativity in Pilgrims Hospices Store 50 window displays
Pilgrims Hospices is proud to spotlight the remarkable work of Hannah Golding, the window dressing specialist at Pilgrims Hospices Store 50 in Canterbury. Hannah’s innovative and sustainable approach to window displays has garnered attention and praise, making her an invaluable asset to the Pilgrims team.
Innovation and Repurposing:
Hannah Golding’s window displays are renowned for their creativity and innovation. When asked about her inspiration, she shared, “I always try to think about, moving forward, how I can use and reuse some of these pieces in the future, being totally sustainable.” A prime example is her Christmas display, which is a take on Widow Twanky from the Marlow Theatre Christmas Pantomime, featuring a repurposed pantomime dame costume made from repurposed or upcycled textiles, cardboard, and plastic bottles, showcasing her unique ability to turn pre-owned items into captivating works of art.
I try to make the most of the space in our small window to create maximum impact on the high street, and the brilliant mannequins we have always help with the theatrics.
Hannah – Pilgrims
Sustainability Focus:
Sustainability is at the heart of Hannah’s work. “The windows are so important to our shops. Sustainable Santa was such a success in the window last year; I thought we were on to something here,” she explains. By showcasing sustainable items, Hannah not only promotes responsible consumption but also helps build the brand of the store as a hub for eco-friendly and fashionable finds.
Local Collaboration:
Hannah’s collaboration with local organisations, like using the pantomime dame costume from a Marlow Theatre production, adds a fascinating touch to her displays. She emphasises the importance of community involvement, stating, “It was wonderful to be donated the costume by the Marlow Theatre; I hope we will be able to work with them on future projects.”
Challenges and Solutions:
Working with pre-owned items presents challenges, but Hannah navigates them adeptly. She elaborates on the process of creating displays: “I try to make the most of the space in our small window to create maximum impact on the high street, and the brilliant mannequins we have always help with the theatrics.” Her dedication to maintaining quality and visual appeal is evident in every display.
Community Engagement:
Hannah ensures her displays resonate with the local community. “We really want our windows to be part of the community,” she says. By gauging and incorporating community preferences, especially during festive seasons like Christmas, Hannah makes the store a vibrant and welcoming space.
Long-Term Impact:
Beyond aesthetic appeal, Hannah believes her work has a broader impact on raising awareness about sustainable practices and responsible consumption. “Our displays truly strike a chord with our customers, and we are enthusiastic about our ongoing integration into the wider community,” she adds.
Hannah Golding, 43, born in Canterbury and currently residing in Whitstable, has been working with Pilgrims Hospices for a year. Apart from her window dressing role, Hannah is also involved in jewellery making under the guise of ‘little shop of hnh’, and is part of the makers shop Walrus & Oyster in Burgate, Canterbury, showcasing her multifaceted talents. @littleshopofhnh – littleshopofhnh.etsy.com
Store50has recently been awarded the Canterbury BID, Christmas Window Competition 2023, Platinum Award!
Store 50, 50 St Peters Street, Canterbury CT1 2BE, 01227 949609
Pilgrims Hospices is a charitable organisation dedicated to providing compassionate care and support for individuals facing life-limiting illnesses. With a focus on quality of life and well-being, Pilgrims Hospices serves the community by offering a range of services and support for patients and their families.
28th July 2023
Happy 1st Birthday to Store50
After a dynamic year of trading, Store50, Pilgrims Hospices’ newest shop, celebrates its 1st Birthday on Friday 4th August. Located at 50 St. Peter’s Street, Canterbury, in the heart of the city, the charity shop really has taken pre-loved fashion to the next level. While aiming to make second-hand fashion affordable, chic and eco-friendly at the same time, Store50 has sold goods to the sum of £151,568.08 in its first year of trading.
In the busy year of stocking a diverse range of clothing for all, with a focus on ‘slow fashion’, advocating respect for people and the environment, often through reducing, reusing and recycling, rather than purchasing new items. This trendy little shop has served more than 16,500 customers, and sold almost 28,000 items, whilst saving large quantities of clothing from being sent to land fill.
As part of the birthday celebrations, and to thank our customers, we are giving FREE goody bags; to every customer that purchases on the 4th August. As sustainability is the main focus of Store50, all bags will contain pre-loved items for shoppers.
The store will also be celebrating the success of sportswear sales, by opening a brand new stand along department for branded and chic sports gear. The sportswear hub for savvy Pilgrims shoppers, will be located in the rear of the shop.
The shop has eight volunteers who support across all elements of the retail shop, helping the manger Amy Eldridge to keep the stock vibrant, tagged, sized and priced and steaming ready for sale.
Mandy Hawkett, Retail Area Manager said: “We are so proud of our volunteers, with their support we are achieving something very special for local shoppers, and raising funds for hospice care within the local community. We really appreciate everything they do, and would like to take this opportunity to thank them publicly. The volunteers run the till, meet and greet customers, tidy the shop floor, and keep our shelves stocked. They are always smiling and welcoming; they are the face that customers’ see when they walk through our shop doorway. We couldn’t run our store without their amazing efforts!
Although we thought the shop would particularly appeal to Canterbury’s thriving student population, we are delighted to say our trendy threads appeal to everyone’s budget and suit every wardrobe, our customers come from all walks of life.
Currently trending on our rails are dresses, sportswear and the ever popular rag denim, were you can purchase items from as little as £3.
We’re very excited to be launching the new sportwear department. 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.
Don’t forget to bring your student card, you will receive 10% discount too!
Store50 is open 10:00-18:00 Monday-Saturday and 10:00-16:00 on Sundays.
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 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.
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.
