Most Inventive Hospice Retail Initiative Award for Springhill Hospice

Mark Turner, Marketing Director of awards sponsor, B Smith Packaging, Pamela Gray, Team Leader, and Sarah-Lee Ford, Income Services Manager at Springhill Hospice

Springhill Hospice has won the Most Inventive Hospice Retail Initiative Award at the Hospice UK Retail Conference for transforming a previously empty local pub into a thriving tea room and gift shop.

The Craven – which had been empty for two years and had become a local eyesore – has been converted into the Springhill Tea Rooms and Gift Shop at the Craven (retaining the pub’s name) and is doing a healthy trade in beverages and cakes.

The hospice beat off competition from across the country in the annual awards run by Hospice UK to recognise innovation and creativity in the ways hospice retailers are raising funds to support people with life-limiting conditions and their families in local communities.

It comes at a time when demand for end of life care is increasing but half of hospices have reported funding cuts or freezes.

In early 2014, Springhill Hospice made the bold decision to purchase an empty public house close to the hospice. With the support and dedication of people across the community, including hospice employees, volunteers and local businesses, Springhill Hospice renovated the space and opened the tea room and gift shop in December 2014.

The pub’s living space upstairs has been turned into offices for the fundraising team who sometimes get called down to make the tea when it gets extra busy. The 60 cover tea room is bright and airy with customers loving the vintage chic décor.

Lots of positive feedback is received from customers regarding the menu that includes homemade cakes, a variety of teas and fresh coffee. Toasted tea cakes, sandwiches, crumpets, homemade soup and baked potatoes are also on offer along with their speciality afternoon tea.

Although still in its infancy, takings are increasing weekly as word spreads and the tea room is busy every day, including on weekends. An outside seating area is being set up for the summer months and the hospice is recruiting more staff and volunteers to meet demand.

Julie Halliwell, Chief Executive at Springhill Hospice, said: “I am delighted that we have won this award.

"Staff and volunteers have worked so hard to renovate the premises and get the tea room and gift shop up and running. They very much deserve recognition for the work they have done.

"It is increasingly difficult to secure the funds we need to operate the Hospice, and we are constantly looking for innovative income generation schemes. The sale of the pub came at just the right time for us, and gave us an opportunity to house our Income Services Team at the same time as developing the tea room and gift shop.

"We are very grateful to the public for continuing to support us so well.”

Sarah-Lee Ford, Income Services Manager at Springhill Hospice, added: “Opening the tea rooms has been one of our biggest challenges for the Income Services Team, however, it’s also been one of the most rewarding seeing people meeting friends and enjoying a cake and a catch up whilst making money for the Hospice.”

Antonia Bunnin, Director of Hospice Support and Development at Hospice UK, said: “In recent years there have been lots of headlines about pub closures and empty premises in our communities. The way that Springhill Hospice has brought this old building back to life, back to the community – all while raising vital funds for hospice care – is a wonderfully impressive and creative initiative that deserves to be recognised.”

Springhill Hospice, which opened in 1989, provides holistic palliative care to people with life-limiting conditions from Rochdale, as well as some patients from Oldham, Manchester and East Lancashire. The hospice’s facilities include an in-patient unit, day hospice, outpatient service, community service, psychological and supportive care and a 24-hour advice line.

The Hospice UK Retail Conference took place on Thursday 23 April in Solihull. Each year the event gives hospice retailers an opportunity to develop knowledge and good practice, network with their peers, learn from colleagues’ experiences and hear from expert speakers in the industry.