Shoppers can fill their bags with quality bargains as Ashgate Hospice brings its 15th store to Buxton’s high street. 

The shop will officially open in the picturesque market town at 9am on 14th April. 

The hospice, which cares for patients across Buxton and the High Peak, has taken over the former TUI travel agents building on Spring Gardens in the town. 

Five new jobs have been created and the shop is appealing for new volunteers to join its team to help with the running of the shop. 

The shop will fund care for families like Penny Cook’s, whose husband Mick died on the hospice’s Inpatient Unit last summer, aged 75, after being diagnosed with incurable stomach cancer.  

The Buxton couple had only just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary the year before. 

Penny said: “Within a few hours of being at the hospice, Mick looked like a different person – he was relaxed, I’d finally got my husband back.  

“Being at the hospice feels like someone has wrapped a blanket around you, like you’re getting a hug. It’s the people who make it feel that way.  

“When Mick was admitted for the second time, we knew it would be the last. My big, cuddly husband became thin, frail and not much longer for this world – just a few days.  

“We’d been together 24/7 for the last 30 years and the thought of being apart now engulfed me in sadness. But once again, the hospice’s team came together and pulled out all the stops for us.  

“Sleeping by Mick meant we didn’t lose a minute together. I was blessed to have another eight weeks with him at the hospice before he died. 

“We planned to make lots of memories when Mick was diagnosed but we didn’t get the chance because he lost his mobility quickly. So being able to spend the last eight weeks together with nowhere else to be and nothing else to do was precious. 

“Having nowhere else to be except by my husband’s side meant the world to both of us.” 

Around 100 patients living in the Buxton area accessed the hospice’s services last year – from clinical care at home or at its Inpatient Unit to occupational support and physiotherapy. 

The charity says good quality pre-loved clothes, books, games and other items are on sale – and donations are welcome. 

Shoppers who support the new store in Buxton will be helping to raise the £8 million needed to pay for the hospice’s care across North Derbyshire – as only a third of its services are funded by central Government.  

Laura Stevens, Head of Retail Operations at Ashgate Hospice, added: “We’re delighted to open our first shop in the beautiful town of Buxton. 

“Not only will shoppers who visit us get their hands on plenty of bargains, but they’ll be helping to fund care and support for people like Mick when they desperately need it.  

“We’re looking forward to the official opening and we hope you’ll pop in and see us soon!” 

Find out more about Ashgate Hospice’s new Buxton shop and its wider retail network.