A Hexham charity has been granted planning permission for its fifth retail store.

Tynedale Hospice at Home plans to open a new second-hand furniture shop on the Bridge End Industrial Estate in autumn 2021, after being granted permission for a change of use on the property by Northumberland County Council.

Lucy Weeks, Communications and Marketing Officer at the Hospice, said: “We were really pleased with the feedback from the community about the furniture shop and hopefully we will generate a lot of interest when we advertise for volunteers too.

“Our plan is to open early autumn 2021, we have some work internally to prepare for opening, logistics to organise, and volunteers and staff to recruit. We’re really excited about it all!”

Though plans have not been fully firmed up for how the space will be used beyond selling second-hand furniture, there is optimism that this will provide a boost to the hospice’s income – of which around 33% comes from its charity shops.

Charlotte Pearson, Head of Income Generation at the Hospice echoed her colleague’s excitement, as well as saying: “We’re here to provide care services to the community and this will help provide a sustainable form of income for them.

“We are also moving our e-commerce operation to the new site. We sell goods on EBay and Depop and that is currently run from the office space in the Battle Hill shop. That’s quite a growing income stream for us to support our care services."

Tynedale Hospice at Home currently has its main store and bookstore on Battle Hill in Hexham, as well as shops in Prudhoe and Ponteland.