St Columba’s Hospice is celebrating the opening of its first charity shop in East Lothian today and welcomed the support of John McMillan, Provost of East Lothian.

Located at 67 High Street in Haddington, the new retail space will also act as a “hub” for the organisation, accommodating office space for its community team which supports people across East Lothian in their own homes. In addition, it will offer a local meeting point for other health and social care professionals providing palliative care.

Director of Fundraising for St Columba’s Hospice, Jon Heggie, said:

“One of our long-term goals has been to open a charity shop in East Lothian and Haddington is the perfect location to do it. St Columba’s Hospice wouldn’t be able to provide the care and support it does without public support, so every purchase really does make a massive difference.

“Not only is it a fantastic opportunity for us to reach more people that could benefit from our support, it’s a way for us to really engage with the local community and have a presence on the high street.”

John McMillan, Provost of East Lothian, said: “I am delighted to welcome St Columba’s Hospice to Haddington, and look forward to seeing their charity shop become a part of our community. All of the money raised through sales in the shop will go toward supporting people with life-limiting conditions and their families.

“I am especially pleased to note that this unit will also take the form of a community hub to help the Hospice work with more families in the area. This will increase the number of people able to access specialist palliative care across East Lothian and in many cases, enable them to receive it in their own homes.”

St Columba’s Hospice has been at the heart of the local community for over 40 years, supporting over 1100 patients and their families each year. The independent charity currently has 8 shops across Edinburgh, with the latest addition in Haddington being the first to offer a space for its community team to work from.

Lorraine Wilson, Community Care Team leader, said: “Our community team supported over 500 new patients in their own homes last year and this number continues to grow. Our aim is to help people live as well as they can until they die and we’re working hard to make this a reality for as many people as possible.

“We believe everyone should have access to specialist palliative care, wherever and whenever they need. The new community hub will allow the team to give more people access to specialist palliative care. We look forward to having a base in East Lothian and meeting more of the local community.”

The shop is accepting donations of high-quality clothing, shoes, accessories and brick-a-brack. There are also flexible volunteering opportunities available. Simply drop in or email fund@stcolumbashospice.org.uk to find out more.

Opening hours Monday – Saturday 10pm-4pm

Image L-R: Jon Heggie (Director of Fundraising), John McMillan (Provost of East Lothian), Alex Grant (Shop Manager) and Jackie Stone at the opening event.