BREAKING NEWS | I and JL Brown Whitestone Set To Become New Hub For St Michael's Hospice

[Hereford Voice]

I & JL Brown Ltd unit at Whitestone 

St Michael's Hospice submit plans for a 'Proposed mixed use of site as light industrial, storage and distribution, retail, offices and complementary uses'

The hospice 'Income Generation, Marketing and Communication Director' Rachel Jones said;

"Our vision is for the site to be a donation centre, warehouse and distribution centre for pre-loved goods on the ground floor. We will retain the offices, meeting/training rooms and retail space on the upper floor and add a customer information area with a small coffee and snack area. Our key themes will be around sustainability with a focus on recycling and upcycling, as well as providing a space for affordable shopping"

David Teague (Chair of Trustees) wrote the following covering letter in support of their planning application;

"I am writing on behalf of the Trustees of St Michael's Hospice to highlight theimportance for St Michael's Hospice to secure this planning application.

The Trustees are responsible for ensuring that the charity delivers on its purpose, it has the funds to do so and that it conducts itself as efficiently and effectively as possible.

The Trustees take care to ensure every penny given to the charity is used wisely and in such a way a s to not only deliver services today but also secure the charity for future beneficiaries.

The Trustees are very proud of what St Michael's has achieved in its first 40 years and how ti has responded to the various challenges along the way. The Trustees want everyone in Herefordshire and the surrounding areas to have access to the very best palliative care and support at the time and the place they need it, a need that will only increase over time. The service is provided by way of our inpatient and outpatient units at Bartestree and Hospice at Home. We also educate and look to inspire other health and social care professionals to improve the delivery and quality of palliative care in all the settings where patients might find themselves.

The ongoing challenge for St Michael's is to secure the money to support these services. Despite continually finding ways to innovate and be more efficient, the increasing requirement for our services and inflation increase the amount of income required year on year. St Michael's' funds come from a variety of sources, and these continue to evolve into new ways to engage with our supporters. Our community is a tremendous supporter of St Michael's, not just in terms of finance but also with their volunteering. We will never take this for granted.

The contribution from our retail sites is a major part of our fund raising. The majority of our retail sites are occupied through leases. The Whitestone site gives us the opportunity that will provide longterm security.

The use proposed for the Whitestone building will seek to complement and build upon our retail strategy. It will provide new job opportunities and a hub for volunteering and learning new skills. You will note from the application that this is an opportunity to allow the people of Herefordshire to shop sustainably and recycle responsibly. We see this as a great new addition to Hereford, and as an established charity we look forward to continuing to give back to the economy and the county"

Planning Application P232066/F

 

[Steve Major]

Good move