Hartlepool & District Hospice manages 11 charity shops across Hartlepool and East Durham.
Any surplus from the shops is used to support the charitable activities of the Hospice and goes directly towards patient care.
Shop income is a key part of their diverse income streams and generates over £500,000. This is a massive contribution to the £3 million needed to run the organisation.
The Hospice employs three members of staff to manage and staff the shops. However, in order to operate, the charity is heavily dependent on a team of volunteers.
Volunteers are often in the shops without a paid member of staff present. Therefore, their safety – and that of the shop’s customers – is of paramount importance. There are security measures in place, for instance there is no lone working.
Many of the shops are in deprived parts of Hartlepool, often with high levels of anti-social behaviour.
The shops have been affected by youths hanging around, intimidating people and shoplifting. CCTV equipment in one of their stores on York Road has proved extremely useful. Footage has enabled offenders to be caught.
Therefore they would like to increase security at more of their shops by purchasing additional CCTV equipment.