Category: Charity Shops
Over £3,000 raised for Hospice care during Warehouse Lock-in
Yesterday, Tuesday 29th November, a sold-out Lock-in event took place at St Barnabas Hospice’s flagship charity shop The Warehouse in Lincoln to help shoppers get ahead of their Christmas shopping and snap up incredible bargains.
During the Warehouse’s first ever public Lock-in, shoppers were able to browse exclusive stock along with a Christmas section full of gifts, decorations, clothing and much more.
More than 600 items were sold in just two hours, raising over £3,000 to support St Barnabas’ mission to bring high quality, compassionate and dignified care to those who need it in Lincolnshire.
On top of browsing thousands of items, attendees were given a try of the Pin Gin 40th anniversary St Barnabas gin and rum, while Barbell Burger Co provided delicious loaded chips and the Barefoot DJs played great music.
Special guest Jennifer Brady, better known by her social media name Charity Shop Girl, was in attendance to share her passion for sustainable shopping and supporting charities. Jennifer shares her obsession with bargains on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn with tens of thousands of followers following her journey.
Jen brought her famous basket to Lincoln, and her first stop was the St Barnabas charity shop on the High Street just before the Steep Hill. Here she met shop deputy manager Sharna and shop assistant Emma, and enjoyed a nosey around the retro-themed store before heading to The Warehouse.
Jen says: “I’ve visited Lincoln quite a few times, with this vintage shop always being my favourite in the whole city; I didn’t know it was a St Barnabas charity shop so I’m very excited to find that out.
“The Lock-in event was so much fun, it’s great to see so many likeminded people here who love shopping sustainably and share that same passion for keeping perfectly good items out of landfill. I’ve picked up some really great pieces, and some even have their tags still on so they’re brand new! Make sure to go into your local St Barnabas charity shop this Christmas to get some great bargains and shop more sustainably.”
Caroline Peach, Head of Retail at St Barnabas Hospice, comments: “Now more than ever, people are looking at budgeting for the festive season. By shopping in our many charity shops across Lincolnshire, you can save money, pick up unique items, do your bit for the environment and support our cause all at once!
“It was such a wonderful event, the feedback has been incredible, and we raised over £3,000 which is a real testament to the quality of our donations, which we are very grateful for. A huge thanks to everyone who came along, we will look at organising more Lock-in events in the future and we look forward to the continued support of local shoppers.”
Find your local St Barnabas shop here: www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/shop. On top of the 25 county-wide shops, you can also purchase merchandise via the St Barnabas online shop, find great gifts and collectables on eBay and designer items on Depop.
Caroline adds: “We are always looking for donations, and also shop volunteers. It’s a great way of making a difference to your local Hospice, and it is tons of fun too. You get to meet interesting people, have lots of laughs with colleagues, gain valuable skills and of course get first dibs on all those amazing donations!
“If you’re interested in volunteering, pop into your local St Barnabas charity shop to have a chat with the staff and volunteers there or take a look online.”
To find out more about volunteering for St Barnabas, visit: https://stbarnabashospice.co.uk/get-involved/volunteer/
Below: Charity Shop Girl with St Barnabas staff
– Photography by Steve Smailes
Pick up great Christmas gifts and support St Barnabas
Supporters of St Barnabas Hospice will be spoiled for choice at the charity’s stall during the upcoming Lincolnshire Food & Gift Fair and Lincoln Christmas Market.
The Hospice will be in attendance at both events, selling a plethora of items that make great gifts for your loved ones (or yourself!) this festive season.
The Food & Gift Fair takes place this weekend on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th November at Lincolnshire Showground, with the Christmas Market in Lincoln’s historic Bailgate running from Thursday 1st until Sunday 4th December.
Items on sale will include baubles, beautiful stationery with illustrations by Wrendale Designs, delicious tea and coffees, as well as limited edition rum and gin bottles, and more.
Luxury coffee and tea hampers are on offer with delicious blends by The Lincoln Tea & Coffee Company, while the Ruby Coffee, created for the Hospice’s 40th anniversary, is a smooth Arabica blend that creates a buttery, caramel sweetness and vanilla notes. This is a brilliant gift for coffee lovers at just £5.50, and the large hamper is available for £20, with a smaller priced at £14. All profits are kindly donated to St Barnabas.
Pin Gin (Bottomley Distillery Ltd) are also celebrating the charity’s 40th by crafting two special drinks – the Est.1982 Ruby Gin and Est.1982 Ruby Rum. Both are priced at £35, with an exclusive offer of two bottles for £65 at the events. Again, all profits are donated to our cause.
The classic dry gin is infused with strawberries and elderflowers with added flavours of citrus and cinnamon, while the rum is flavoured with pineapple and bananas, with a hint of cinnamon and ginger.
Should you be unable to visit the Fair or Market, these items and more are available to purchase via the St Barnabas online shop here: https://stbarnabashospice.co.uk/shop/onlineshop/
Earlier this month, the announcement was made that St Barnabas Hospice has been chosen by the City of Lincoln Council as the Christmas Market’s very first charity partner, something that the charity is immensely proud of and grateful for.
At the Market, St Barnabas will be occupying a traditional wooden cabin in front of its 30-foot Tree of Life at Lincoln Cathedral. This beautiful Tree comes from the charity’s Light up a Life campaign and is adorned with sparkling lights, each one dedicated to a loved one no longer with us. There is still time to dedicate a light by visiting: https://stbarnabashospice.co.uk/light-up-a-life/
St Barnabas look forward to attending both events, and any donations to the Hospice at the Fair and Market are gratefully received.
St Barnabas invites thrifty shoppers to the Vintage Lock-In at The Warehouse
St Barnabas Hospice’s flagship store The Warehouse in Lincoln will be opening its doors for an exclusive evening of pre-loved shopping on Tuesday 29th November from 6:30pm.
During this first ever public lock-in, shoppers can pick up amazing bargains and support their local Hospice at the same time.
Not only will The Warehouse be fully stocked with vintage, retro, designer and high street clothing, books, unique homeware, and furniture, but there will also be a special festive section to style yourself and your home this Christmas.
Attendees will be able to enjoy cocktails made with the St Barnabas spiced rum, created by local distillery Pin Gin for the Hospice’s 40th anniversary, feast on delicious street food bites, and celebrate the night with fellow charity shop lovers and St Barnabas staff.
The evening will be hosted by Charity Shop Girl, Jennifer Brady. Jennifer has been causing a stir on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn with her obsession for bargains and mission to get everyone shopping a little more sustainably.
She has visited charity shops all over the UK finding second-hand gems to wear and shares her journey with tens of thousands of followers. On top of this, Jennifer won Thriftify’s national ‘Thrift-Off’ competition recently and is a Going Green Ambassador.
Jennifer says: “I’m so excited to be attending this event. I’m super passionate about preloved, sustainable fashion. I’m looking forward to having a good rummage, meeting some fellow thrifting fans and all whilst raising some money for an incredible cause!”
Caroline Peach, Head of Retail at St Barnabas, comments: “We can’t wait to welcome Jennifer and all local savvy shoppers to our Vintage Lock-In!
“This is a great opportunity for people to get first dibs on wonderful clothing, homeware, books, vinyl records, and many other types of stock specially selected for this event. It’s going to be a really fun evening, and a brilliant way to pick up gifts for yourself and others well in time for Christmas.”
Tickets for this exclusive event on Tuesday 29th November are just £5 and can be purchased via the website: https://stbarnabashospice.co.uk/events/vintage-lock-in/
St Barnabas Hospice has 25 shops across Lincolnshire, as well as an online shop, an eBay page and Depop account. Find your local St Barnabas shop here: www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/shop
For every £1 we raise, 74p goes towards delivering and improving the care we provide. The other 26p goes towards generating future income.
St Barnabas teams up with Lincoln City FC and eBay
A shirt signed by all current Lincoln City FC players is up for grabs – enter our raffle.
St Barnabas Hospice has been chosen by eBay to receive free advertising at Lincoln City FC’s EFL home games to help the charity spread the word about its eBay store. Imp supporters may have already spotted St Barnabas advertising around the pitch and in the match programmes.
Some exciting off-pitch activities are happening too, with a shirt signed by all current Lincoln City FC players to be auctioned via our eBay page, which you can find here!
St Barnabas has also received 10 tickets and 4 VIP Hospitality tickets to give away, which will be donated as prizes at raffles and fundraising events, as well as gifted to selected Imp-supporting patients to spread football cheer.
This partnership between eBay’s Small Business United and the English Football League (EFL) supports 72 organisations across the country to gain more exposure and help grow their business further.
The partnership was officially launched at the eBay Roadshow in Reading this summer, where St Barnabas was presented the signed shirt by famous ex-footballer Adebayo Akinfenwa (aka The Beast), and Sky Sports presenter Michelle Owen.
Andrew Whitham, Director of Commercial Affairs at Lincoln City FC comments: “It’s great to see St Barnabas benefiting from a national campaign in partnership with the EFL. They’re a fantastic charity who play a key role in our local community.
“Imps fans will be able to see the St Barnabas logo in our match day programmes and on our LED perimeter boards at the LNER Stadium which is great for brand awareness.”
Caroline Peach, St Barnabas Hospice’s Head of Retail, says: “This is such an exciting opportunity for us to gain further support for our charity. eBay is a brilliant platform that helps us extend our reach to national and even international audiences, as we have recently sold a very rare collectible to someone in the USA!”
“We sell a huge variety of items, including collectibles, antique coins, musical instruments, and we recently sold a Star Wars LEGO set and a first pressing of a Led Zeppelin vinyl. There are always a lot of items that would make perfect gifts too, including Harry Potter, DC, Marvel, and gaming merchandise.
“Much like our physical charity shops, you never know what you’ll find on our eBay store so make sure to have a look!”
To visit St Barnabas Hospice’s eBay shop, click here.
The charity has 25 shops around Lincolnshire which are always looking for donations, especially for items that fall under entertainment such as technology, musical instruments, fandom merchandise and video games.
Are you attending a Lincoln City FC match soon? Then why not pop into the nearest St Barnabas Hospice shop on the High Street and see what bargains you can get.
If you make a purchase either in-store or via eBay, help St Barnabas spread the word by posting a picture of your item with the hashtag #ImpsLoveStBarnabas on social media.
‘The Warehouse’ will be closing early on Friday 23rd September at 4pm for maintenance work
The Warehouse’ will be undergoing maintenance work, starting at 4pm on Friday 23rd September and as such, we will be closing early to carry out this work.
We will be back open as usual on Saturday 24th September from 9am to shop, browse and make donations.
We are sorry for an inconvenience caused.
In the meantime, all our other shops will be open. To find your local shop, please go to: https://stbarnabashospice.co.uk/shop/
Pick up great bargains at the Kilo Sale on Saturday 24th September
St Barnabas Hospice will be holding its very first Pop Up Kilo Sale event on Saturday 24th September at the Waterside Shopping Centre in Lincoln.
Attendees can ditch fast fashion by discovering fantastic pre-loved vintage, retro, and unique clothing and accessories, as well as support a great local charity at the same time.
Access to the event is free, with donations to St Barnabas gratefully accepted. There are no tickets to buy, just come along on the day between 10am and 3pm.
There will be rails upon rails of high-quality bargains for shoppers to choose from, simply load up a bag, bring it to the till and pay. The cost per kilo is just £10, less than many other Kilo Sale events that are held in Lincoln. Payments can be made via cash or card and there is no minimum spend.
Caroline Peach, Head of Retail at St Barnabas Hospice says: “We can’t wait to welcome all you savvy shoppers to buy sustainable slow fashion that is not just good for the planet, but for your wallet too!
“Everyone is feeling the squeeze of the cost of living crisis, and shopping at our charity shops or attending events like this helps you save money and update your wardrobe – as well as feeling good about supporting a local cause.
“We have organised this Kilo Sale to take place during the Sustainable Fashion Week, so many people are looking to make better choices and go for slow fashion and keeping clothes out of landfill.”
If you would like to donate items to be sold at the Kilo Sale, please bring your items to the Forum shop in North Hykeham, open from Monday to Sunday.
The Sustainable Fashion Week (SFW) takes place from 16th to 25th September 2022 and is the first fashion week of its kind, with four themes: Rewear, Repurpose, Regenerate and Reconnect. Its focus is not on next season’s trends but instead on up-skilling, inspiring and empowering the community.
St Barnabas Hospice has 25 shops across Lincolnshire, as well as an online shop, an eBay page and Depop account. Find your local St Barnabas shop here: www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/shop
Shop Managers come together – and celebrate Carol’s 25th anniversary
On Wednesday 27th July 2022, St Barnabas Hospice staff came together in a meeting for shop managers across the region.
This is the first time the team has been able to hold this meeting face-to-face since the Covid pandemic started, and everyone enjoyed seeing their colleagues in person again.
The team discussed their challenges, opportunities and experiences over the past few years, as well as all their exciting plans for the future.
Other departments were also in attendance, including representatives from fundraising, The People Team and volunteering, who spoke about their work and upcoming plans. Chief Executive Chris Wheway and Director of Income Generation Paul Furbey were also in attendance.
On top of this, we celebrated Carol Chandler, who currently manages Lincoln’s Monks Road charity shop. She has been a manager with St Barnabas for an incredible 25 years, having volunteered for us another 3 years before that.
Chris Wheway and Head of Retail Caroline Peach presented Carol with beautiful flowers to celebrate this fantastic milestone.
Caroline comments: “Carol is at the heart of her shop with a loyal team of volunteers, making the store a real hub in the local community. Thank you so much for everything Carol, you really are a star!”
A big thank you to Carol and all the shop managers across our 25 shops in Lincolnshire, for all their hard work and keeping our shops running!
Top picture L-R: Chief Executive Chris Wheway, Carol Chandler, and Head of Retail Caroline Peach
St Barnabas volunteer shortlisted for BBC Radio Lincolnshire Make a Difference awards
Stephen Currie, who has been volunteering for St Barnabas Hospice for over five years, has been nominated for the coveted Volunteer of the Year Award at this year’s BBC Radio Lincolnshire’s Make a Difference awards.
Stephen lives in Washingborough and started his volunteering journey with St Barnabas at Lincoln’s High Street South charity shop. He worked there for four years with manager Joanne, who nominated him for this award. 
Stephen is currently working at Lincoln’s Burton Road shop, while Joanne moved to a different charity where he also volunteers. He can be found at Burton Road several days a week, whilst also taking on extra shifts as a volunteer leader on days shop manager Karen is unavailable.
Stephen says: “I am very honoured to be shortlisted for this award, it shows the hard work we do as volunteers is truly appreciated.”
About his volunteering work, he comments: “It is great being part of a network of volunteers that help to raise funds for the Hospice, and I am doing the best I can to inspire others, as volunteers are the backbone of charities. Raising funds for charities is so rewarding and makes you feel valued.
“I have been able to do so much that I wouldn’t have done otherwise, for instance I worked at the Waterside Fashion Show two years in a row, volunteered in day-care centres, and much more.
“I also joined the St Barnabas Social Group Committee, where I helped organise events and trips for staff and volunteers until we sadly had to stop because of Covid. It has been such a great experience.
“A happy shop means happy volunteers and staff with happy customers, which in turn better raises funds for the organisation and I’m proud to be part of it!”
The local winners for the BBC Make a Difference Awards will be announced during a ceremony in September. Good luck, Stephen!
Volunteers are needed in almost all St Barnabas charity shops across Lincolnshire, of which there are 26, and we welcome volunteers from all backgrounds.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, click here to find out more and register your interest.
Below pictured left to right: St Barnabas’ Wayne Banks, Debbie Robinson, and Stephen at the Lincoln High Street South shop
Warehouse Opening Statement
We are delighted to announce that our brand-new charity shop, The Warehouse, will officially open to the public on Friday 11th February from 10am to 5pm.
This flagship store has been created at the Hospice’s existing warehouse on Cardinal Close, Lincoln. Designed with accessibility and sustainability in mind, the repurposed building offers a fantastic pre-loved shopping experience, a base for our eBay and Depop centre and an easy drop-off point for donated items.
The Warehouse will retain a sense of the £1 element which has been popular in other shops, as well as featuring designer and high street fashion at affordable prices, upcycled furniture, homewares, books, toys, bric-a-brac and more.
We have been working to make this a welcome space for all, and have ensured there are disabled parking bays, a ramp entrance, neutral flooring, spacious changing room and low level, ground floor shopping. All staff and volunteers will also have access to Dementia Friends training and a subtitled induction.
Following launch day, the shop will be open all year round, Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm.
In its initial few days of opening, we are expecting the shop to be particularly busy, and ask that supporters are patient and considerate when shopping. This includes holding onto donated items for a few days before bringing them in. Free parking is available both on the premises and along Cardinal Close, however we do ask supporters who are able to walk or catch public transport during this initial busy period. We can arrange delivery of large item purchases such as furniture, for a fee.
The Donation Drive-Thru will no longer be in operation from the Cardinal Close premises, however supporters are encouraged to ‘Book and Bring’ their donated items to The Warehouse, which they can drop off at our Donation Station just inside the entrance.
We are asking supporters to focus on quality over quantity, and to bring a maximum of four bags or boxes of donations. This service will be made available soon!
This exciting new venture for the Hospice has also created more opportunity for supporters to volunteer. We have opportunities supporting the Online Sales Manager with eBay and Depop, as well as opportunities working in The Warehouse to sort donated items, restock shelves and serve customers. Please visit www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/volunteer to register your interest.
The Warehouse project would not have been possible without the wonderful support of Stephen Lumley (Project Manager), Shane Beesley and the team from Todds, Terry Gardner (Acopia), Glen Merryweather (Allen Signs), Ruddocks, Gary (Hindles) and Arthur Byres.
If you have any questions, please email [email protected] or call 01522 559 500. The full shop address is The Warehouse, 12 Cardinal Close, Lincoln, LN2 4SY.
St Barnabas Hospice transforms its warehouse into huge destination shop!
Plans to transform St Barnabas Hospice’s Cardinal Close warehouse into its biggest shop yet are underway.
To capitalise on the success of its charity shops across the county and to create a destination retail experience for its supporters, St Barnabas is currently working hard to refit and transform its current sorting space into its largest and most ambitious shop to date. 
Emma-Jayne Parker, Superstore and E-commerce Manager, who will be running the new store, said: “We’re really excited to be bringing our older warehouse building to life with this exciting new project. As well as bringing sustainable shopping to the Uphill area of Lincoln, our focus will be on selling as much donated stock as we can. We’ll be doing this by working with the local community and building on these relationships.
“One feature of the new store will be a book area, a flexible space which we hope to be able to hold workshops and events in. It will also have a unique and comfortable seating area for customers to relax with a book while loved ones explore the shop.”
Todds, a Lincoln based business, won the tender to undertake the construction and interior works at Cardinal Close, Lincoln.
Shane Beesley, Managing Director at Todds has worked closely on the project to make the ideas become a reality, from major structural changes to design choices.
Shane said: “I have made it my priority to work on this project from day one. I wanted to make sure the team at St Barnabas got the results they were after and will be left with a retail and office space to be proud of. The team working on site are loving working so close to home too. We rarely have the luxury of working in Lincoln, as a lot of our work is UK wide.
“I must thank Emma-Jayne, Scott and the team for making us feel so welcome – with plenty of cups of tea and biscuits to keep us going!
“There is actually another reason I am so passionately involved in this project. My father and I have always supported the Hospice, as members of our own family have been cared for by the nurses at St Barnabas. We know, more than most, just how vital it is to the Lincolnshire community. The Hospice will always be close to our hearts and we are so proud to make a positive impact with this exciting development.”
Shane added: “Office space renovation is Todds’ forte, but the new warehouse shop is a really unique opportunity for us to showcase what else we can do. I promise the end result will be something very special.”
Emma-Jayne added: “We’ll be retaining a sense of the £1 shop element that has been popular in our other shops and will be having lucky dip boxes too. We’re really hoping to bring in a new wave of shoppers with our preloved furniture and electrical departments.
“The Warehouse will also be home to a calendar of upcycling classes to teach shoppers how to paint, revive, reupholster and restyle homeware.”
As well as the retail space, the warehouse will also have a recycling function where donations of clothes, books and metal that cannot be resold will be prepared for disposal in the most ethical way possible.
The store is aiming to be open for business at the end of the year, for updates, follow St Barnabas Hospice on social media or visit the website at www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk