St Catherine’s Hospice officially opened its new Superstore in central Crawley on Thursday 12 February, bringing furniture, fashion and a new repair service into the town centre.
To officially open the Superstore, dignitaries and guests were invited to an evening launch event at the store to browse the aisles and witness a ribbon cutting by Crawley Mayor, Councillor Sharmila Sivarajah, and Store Manager, Leanne Chew.
Located at 37-43 Queensway, the Superstore is St Catherine’s largest-ever charity shop and three and a half times the combined size of its two previous Crawley shops, taking over the retail unit that was occupied by Sainsburys before closing in 2021.
The impressive new store has been years in development and follows substantial renovation work. With over 140 volunteers, the Superstore will also provide more volunteering opportunities to the community, including for businesses looking for staff volunteering initiatives, all helping local people gain skills and confidence while being a vital part of the Superstore Team alongside Store Manager Leanne.
The store has over 2,500 items of clothing and shoes on display, and the addition of furniture, bridalwear, bicycles and an upcycle repair shop to fix donated items, that will be opening in the coming weeks.
For large donations that cannot be carried, the store has a loading bay at the rear of the shop that can be booked to drop-off items. Slots can be booked online through St Catherine’s website: stch.org.uk/donation-drop-off
Crawley Mayor, Councillor Sharmila Sivarajah said: “It is a privilege to formally open St Catherine’s Hospice’s new Superstore in the centre of Crawley. This development represents a significant investment in our town and will play an important role in supporting the hospice’s cherished services. The Superstore not only enhances our local retail offer, but also provides meaningful opportunities for volunteering, skills development and community engagement. On behalf of Crawley, thank you, St Catherine’s Hospice, your staff, and your volunteers for their exceptional dedication, and I am pleased to welcome this important addition to our town centre.”
St Catherine’s Head of Trading, Gary Powis said: “We are thrilled our Superstore is in a prime location in the centre of Crawley, a town that is so entwined in St Catherine’s rich history after being home to our hospice for forty years, before we moved to our new site in Pease Pottage. It therefore feels fitting that our largest flagship store should proudly sit in the town centre, warmly welcoming our community through the doors to help us fund our specialist end of life care in West Sussex and East Surrey.”
Crawley Superstore Manager, Leanne Chew said: “We have been given such a warm welcome and I’m excited to be working alongside a large team of volunteers. The doors of the shop simply could not open without the commitment and dedication of our retail volunteers. Every hour donated by them and every item they sell, makes a difference to the patients we care for in the hospice and out in the community.”
It costs St Catherine’s around £14 million to run the hospice each year, but less than a third of this comes from the NHS. The rest is raised through the support and generosity of the local community. Every year, the hospice cares for around 2,000 people living with a terminal or life-limiting condition and their families across West Sussex and East Surrey.
To find out more about joining the friendly Volunteering Team, especially anyone who would like to help mend furniture and bicycles in the new repair centre, visit www.stch.org.uk/volunteer . To keep updated with all the charity shop news, follow the retail pages on social media on Facebook at: St Catherine’s Hospice Shops and Catherine’s Bridal or on Instagram: @stchcharityshops and @catherinesbridalstore.
To donate to St Catherine’s or to find out more visit: stch.org.uk
