North London Hospice is proud to have just opened the doors of its newest charity shop, right in the heart of one of the area’s most dynamic neighbourhoods - Upper Street, Islington. The launch represents an exciting new chapter for the hospice as they also expand their free patient and family services into the London Boroughs of Camden and Islington. The Worshipful, the Mayor of Islington, Councillor Jason Jackson was delighted to cut the ribbon at the grand opening yesterday morning, officially declaring the store open and welcoming the hospice into the community.
Offering a beautiful space, the vintage shop is housed in the second oldest building in Islington and is a friendly and welcoming place where people come not just to shop, but to support a cause that matters. The Islington store is the hospice’s 18th shop. Each store plays a vital role in funding the free care and support the hospice provides every day to people across North London to those living with or facing an end-of-life diagnosis. As the cost of delivering specialist palliative and end-of-life care continues to rise, the hospice depends upon income from donations and sales at its shops to help fund the services that patients and families rely on.
As he opened the store, The Mayor told onlookers that he understood the vision of what the hospice does, adding about their support:
“It is something that almost every one of us is going to need one day at some point.”
Recognising the enormous difference that the hospice makes, he continued,
“And the way that is being delivered, there are people on the frontline who are delivering that care with love.”
Previously only available to residents of Barnet, Enfield & Haringey, the hospice is committed to reaching as many people as possible who need their expert care and is pleased to now provide the North Central London Palliative Advice Team, a dedicated out-of-hours telephone advice service to residents of Islington and Camden.
Staffed by a team of experienced and expert care givers, the phoneline is for patients, carers, and fellow community professionals needing palliative care advice. It provides telephone support, and signposts to other services. The telephone service operates out-of-hours, Monday-Sunday between 8pm and 8am and the care is available free of charge to everyone in North London. The Palliative Advice Team can be contacted on 020 8152 3252.
Commented Islington store manager, Antonella Licciardi:
“The Upper Street shop – curated with care and powered by generosity - brings the hospice’s signature mix of high-quality, pre-loved fashion, books, homeware and gifts to Islington’s lively and well-loved high street. With its strong sense of community and passion for sustainability and independent enterprise, Islington has already welcomed us warmly.”
“We are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped bring this new shop to life - from the team who transformed the space in record time, to those who supported us by spreading the word, donating items, or simply stopping by in our first weeks. We’re looking forward to meeting more of our new neighbours and would love for you to drop in and say hello. And while we are so pleased to have already welcomed new members to the team in Islington, there’s always room for more with volunteering opportunities available! Hospice care starts with community - and on Upper Street, we’ve already found ours.”
