Crucial work of children’s hospice charity praised by MS

Wrexham’s Member of the Senedd spent a morning visiting her local Hope House Tŷ Gobaith charity shop.

The store in Wrexham, along with others across the region, generate funds for Hope House and Tŷ Gobaith children’s hospices, which need to raise £7.5 million a year. The charity aims to ensure every child with a life-threatening condition and their family get the help and support they need. 

Lesley Griffiths MS met with the local store management team and the volunteers who donate their time to help the daily running of the shop.

Commenting after her visit, Ms Griffiths said: “It was a pleasure meeting the volunteers and staff at Wrexham’s Tŷ Gobaith store and to discover more about their work and some of the challenges they face.

“The charity has seven shops across Mid and North Wales. In addition to helping raise vital funds and awareness, the shops allow the hospices to remain connected to the communities they serve.

“No one should face the death of their child alone so the charity’s work is crucial.”

During her visit, Lesley Griffiths MS and staff from the charity discussed a range of issues.

The shop is always on the lookout for volunteers and there are many ways you could get involved such as sorting through donations, working on the till, window dressing to name but a few.  Volunteering at your local Hope House Tŷ Gobaith shop offers an opportunity to learn new life skills and gain valuable experiences, whether it’s a couple hours on the weekend or the chance to become more experienced and make life-long friends.  Volunteering is good for your CV and the skills you learn could lead to paid work.

Wrexham’s shop relocated to Island Green Shopping Centre in January 2023 where people can easily drop off their pre-loved donations of homeware and fashion and shop second hand to support both the charity and the environment.  Although the car park’s negative reputation has affected sales at the shop, there are promising signs the situation is improving.

Lesley Griffiths MS said: “I have been in a long-running dispute with car park operators Euro Car Parks for over 18 months and I am hopeful the recent change in ownership at Island Green is starting to make a positive difference.

“In recent months new ticket machines have been installed, there are plans for electric charging hubs to be created and the grace period for parking has been extended to 30 minutes.  This final point is particularly helpful for anyone wishing to donate and drop off items at the Hope House shop.”

Tŷ Gobaith and Hope House children’s hospices support families from North & Mid Wales, Shropshire and Cheshire who are ether caring for a child with a life-threatening condition, or whose child has died.

Hope House and Tŷ Gobaith currently provides support for 264 children across Mid and North Wales of which 140 live in Wales.

It costs £7.5 million every year to run its services.  Approximately two month’s income comes from statutory sources and for the other 10 months of the year, the charity is dependent on public support.

Lesley Griffiths MS added: “Hospices traditionally rely on fundraising and charitable donations to operate. However, the cost-of-living crisis is creating significant challenges and negatively impacting fundraising.

“The Welsh Government recently announced additional emergency funding for hospices in Wales, with almost £230,000 earmarked for Tŷ Gobaith, but it’s clear more is needed.”

Further information can be found online at www.hopehouse.org.uk.