EACH shop in Stowmarket to remain closed when high streets reopen
The charity says it is no longer "commercially viable" to keep open
East Anglia's Children's Hospices' (EACH) shop in Stowmarket will not reopen with high streets.
The charity has decided not to renew the lease on the site on Ipswich Street following years of declining income.
It opened its doors for the first time in November 2009 and was barely breaking even before the pandemic.
Acting EACH Director of Income Generation, Ian Nicolson, said: "Despite great support the shop has received over the years, unfortunately, more recent trading levels, including before the pandemic, mean it’s no longer commercially viable for us.
"The small shop format and the difficult access for donations has made trading particularly challenging, and it has gone through a long period of slow decline that, sadly, we’ve been unable to turnaround.
"Having taken this difficult decision, we’re now going through consultation with our staff and volunteers to whom we are most thankful for the dedication and commitment they’ve given us.
"Our many other shops remain a very successful and vital income stream for us. In fact, they’ve been more important than ever when they’ve been able to open over the last year as they’ve provided a form of stable income we simply haven’t had from traditional fundraising events.
"We’re committed to continued investment in and development of our retail operation. For example, as soon as circumstances allow, we’ll be opening a new shop in Royston. If the right opportunity presented itself, we’d definitely consider returning to Stowmarket, too."
With the closure of the Stowmarket store and opening of the Royston branch, the charity will have 43 shops across the region.
Like all charities, EACH has suffered great financial loss as a result of having to close shops and cancel fundraisers due to coronavirus restrictions.
It forecast last month a financial deficit of £2 million over the next year and decided not to renew the leases on its head office in Milton or office in Ipswich as a result.
The charity says its forecast showed why children's hospices needed service delivery underpinned by proper statutory funding.
It receives around 16% of its annual income from statutory sources and has to rely on over £6 million from fundraising and £5 million from retail.
You can find out how to support EACH on its website.