The mayor of Broxbourne took a tour of the borough’s four Isabel Hospice shops to see first-hand how donations are turned into vital funds to support the charity’s life-changing care.
All 16 shops across the Hospice’s catchment area were forced to close for many months during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, but since reopening in April, have reported record sales as shoppers returned in their droves.
However, the Hospice is now in urgent need of good quality stock to replenish its shop shelves and rails as well as its online eBay and Vinted stores if it is to continue to meet demand.
During his visits to the Cheshunt, Waltham Cross, Hoddesdon and Broxbourne shops, Cllr Taylor, who selected Isabel Hospice as his chosen charity at the start of his mayoral term, spoke to staff and volunteers about how they have overcome some of the challenges presented by the coronavirus crisis.
He was also given a behind-the-scenes look at the enormous effort that goes into sorting, distributing and selling the donations received, revealing his wife Lesley once bought a zip up folder from the Hospice shop in Waltham Cross which he still uses today for all his council-related paperwork.
Isabel Hospice is a cause close to Cllr Taylor’s heart thanks to the care his late brother Ian received during his year-long battle with cancer. Ian passed away in August 2012 aged 45.
“The Hospice nurses were always there when we needed them,” he said. “Ian took his illness in his stride but he knew they were there for a reason and took all the help they gave. We couldn’t fault them and I know he would have praised them no end.
“They were there for him, and us as a family, from the very beginning until the very end. When I was elected as mayor, I knew that now was the time, and my family’s chance, to give back.”
Isabel Hospice community fundraiser Linda Cudmore said: “We were absolutely delighted to welcome Cllr Taylor and his wife to our four shops in Broxbourne borough. It was a wonderful opportunity to highlight the crucial role they play in raising the much-needed money Isabel needs to raise each and every year to guarantee the future of our services for some of the most vulnerable people in our community.
“We are incredibly grateful to Cllr Taylor for choosing Isabel as his chosen charity while he is mayor, and look forward to continuing to work with him to help raise money and awareness of our work over the coming months.”
For information on how you can donate your good quality unwanted items, visit isabelhospice.org.uk/donating-goods/. The Hospice is also in need of extra retail volunteers, details of which can be found at isabelhospice.org.uk/volunteer/.
