Hospice Care Week is underway to celebrate the brilliant and vital work such organisations do in the community.

Bolton Hospice is one of the town's most beloved establishments and to mark the week it is highlight one of the easiest ways to support the it does while picking up a bargain or two.

Hospice care eases the physical and emotional pain of death and dying when family and friends are near the end of life needing specialist palliative care

Bolton Hospice provides specialist palliative and end of life care for local people with terminal or life-limiting illnesses and their families, in the hospice, at the wellbeing hub and at home.

It provides a range of services including pain and symptom management, 24-hour advice and support, family and carer support, complementary, creative and occupational therapy, education and training, outpatient clinics, bereavement support and much more.

Bolton Hospice is an independent charity, and all of its services are free of charge.

It needs to raise £5 million every single year to continue providing their vital services.

Quote from families which have used the hospice include: “I will forever be in Bolton Hospice’s debt for the way they cared for my mum with dignity, empathy and kindness. They became our extended family throughout the last few months of her life and I cannot thank them enough.”

“The Wellbeing Hub is so welcoming and their support extends to carers like me too. The complementary therapies have been a lifesaver for my own stress from caring for Mum 24/7.”

“The hospice really is a home from home, with its spacious rooms, beautiful gardens, and friendly faces."

This year’s Hospice Care Week shines a spotlight on hospice retail and the huge role it plays in funding hospice services.

Bolton Hospice has 10 charity shops located across Bolton, an eBay store and a café located next to Asda in Astley Bridge that provide a regular and sustainable source of income that supports the work of the hospice.

Adrian Vickers, head of income generation at Bolton Hospice said: “With rising costs and the environmental impact of fast fashion causing a shift to more sustainable shopping habits, demand from customers for pre-loved shopping is higher than ever before.

"Bolton Hospice’s charity shops are the single biggest source of income to the hospice, set to contribute around £1.9 million this year.

"As well as generating much needed income to fund the hospice’s services, our charity shops have an important role in helping members of our local community cope with the impact of the cost of living crisis, by providing affordable clothing, furniture, homewares and more. We pride ourselves in offering a wide variety of quality pre-loved items at the best possible price so visit one of our shops today to pick up a bargain."

Feedback from shoppers included: "“I enjoy the thrill of the thrift and absolutely love browsing the Bolton Hospice shops! You’re guaranteed to find an incredible bargain, I’ve even seen new with tags items and lots of designer brands. Shopping locally and sustainably is important to me, so it’s great to know my purchase is supporting an important local cause.”

“I pop into my local shop weekly to pick up the latest bargains and now have a well-stocked wardrobe at an affordable price! Every purchase I make directly supports the vital service Bolton Hospice provides our local community so it’s a win-win!”

Outlets raising money for Bolton Hospice while helping the local community with the cost of living also include Furniture Plus on Manchester road which is packed full of quality second-hand furniture and electricals and the Farnworth shop is a clearance outlet where every item is just £1!

L:ast year Bolton Hospice sold 605,878 items in our shops and online and we served 273,367 customers

More than 300,000 pieces of clothing were sold last year – preventing over 1 million kg of Co2 production that would have otherwise been produced in clothing production

And 168 tonnes of clothing from going to landfill – the equivalent to 14 double decker buses.

A total of 400 volunteers gifted their time and expertise across all areas of the retail operation.

Bolton Hospice has more than 6,000 people following its Ebay site.

Be the first to hear updates from the hospice shops, including information about star buys, managers' specials, and exclusive sales and offers by following Bolton Hospice Shops on FB or Instagram.

Bolton Hospice are always in need of donations to help raise vital funds in their shops, and with different ways to donate, you can choose whichever way is easiest for you!

Call 01204 663 063 to book a free home collection, fill in the online form, drop your items of at your nearest charity shop or arrange a ‘Bag it for Bolton Hospice’ at work.

There are many other ways to support Bolton Hospice too:

• Join the Bolton Hospice lottery or make a monthly donation to help provide a steady source of income

• Donate pre-loved items or shop locally in one of their charity shops

• Become a Bolton Hospice Patron

• Gift time as a volunteer in one of the charity shops

• Attend or organise a fundraising event

• Pledge a gift in your will

• Show your support on social media to help raise awareness