An end-of-life charity is set to close two of its shops in an effort to remain financially sustainable amid a £1.1m funding shortfall.
Garden House Hospice Care, based in Hertfordshire, announced it will close its charity shop in Fairfield, Bedfordshire, and its Threads store in Hitchin on 2 September.
The shops sell goods including clothing, books and homeware. The charity said both stores have continued to experience financial challenges despite its work in the past year to improve its retail offering.
Earlier this year, Garden House Hospice Care announced it had made 14 redundancies and would close services as it looked to tackle an expected £1.1m funding shortfall.
The charity recorded an income of £8.4m and costs of £10.5m according to its latest accounts, for the year to the end of March 2025.
Garden House Hospice Care has 12 shops, with the accounts showing income from shops and fundraising was £2.6m in 2024/25, down from £2.7m in 2023/24.
The charity currently employs 225 people.
In a statement, GHHC said: “Fairfield has been part of the community since February 2019.
“We have tried a number of different approaches to make the shop successful, including changing the concept, upgrading and recently refitting the interior, and trialling ranges including vintage, children’s items and upcycled furniture.
“Despite this work and investment, the shop continues to make a loss and is not financially sustainable.”
GHHC confirmed it is closing the standalone Threads shop but said the brand will continue as a dedicated concession within the charity’s Hitchin Bancroft store.
“We want to say a heartfelt thank you to every member of staff and every volunteer who has given their time, energy, ideas and commitment to Fairfield and Threads,” the charity said.
“The decision to close these shops is not a reflection of their hard work.
“We are equally grateful to everyone who has shopped with us, donated goods, shared our posts and supported the stores.”
Garden House Hospice Care has been contacted for information about staff redundancies.