Changes to our retail shops: Fairfield and Threads
We have made the difficult decision to close our Fairfield shop and our Threads shop in Churchgate, Hitchin.
We know these shops mean a great deal to the staff, volunteers, customers, donors and local communities who have supported them, and this is not a decision we have taken lightly.
Our charity shops have one clear purpose: to make a profit for Garden House Hospice Care. The income they generate helps us provide vital care and support for patients, families and people across our community who need us. To protect that care, we have to make sure our retail operation is financially sustainable and that our resources are focused where they can have the greatest impact.
Over the past year, we have worked hard to improve performance across our retail estate through investment, marketing, pricing reviews and operational changes. While this has delivered improvements in many areas, Fairfield and Threads have continued to face financial challenges.
Fairfield has been part of the community since February 2019. We have tried a number of different approaches to make the shop successful, including changing the concept, upgrading and recently refitting the interior, and trialing ranges including vintage, children’s items and upcycled furniture. Despite this work and investment, the shop continues to make a loss and is not financially sustainable.
Our shop on Fairfield Park
Threads has been open for three years and has built a distinctive brand and loyal following. Although the standalone shop is not financially viable, Threads itself is not disappearing. The brand will continue as a dedicated concession within our Hitchin Bancroft store, and we will continue to explore Threads pop-ups in the local area and at events.
Our Threads shop located in Churchgate, Hitchin
We want to say a heartfelt thank you to every member of staff and every volunteer who has given their time, energy, ideas and commitment to Fairfield and Threads. The decision to close these shops is not a reflection of their hard work. We are equally grateful to everyone who has shopped with us, donated goods, shared our posts and supported the stores.
Both Fairfield and Threads will close on Wednesday 2nd September 2026, with Threads moving into our Bancroft store thereafter.
We hope you will continue to support Garden House Hospice Care by shopping, donating or volunteering at our other stores. Every purchase and donation helps us be there for people who need hospice care and support.
Your questions answered
We know the decision to close our Fairfield and Threads shops will be disappointing for our customers, supporters, volunteers and the communities they have been part of.
We also know people may have questions about why we have made this decision. We want to be as open as we can about the reasons behind it. Read our FAQs below:
Why are Fairfield and Threads closing?
Our shops have one clear purpose: to generate a profit for Garden House Hospice Care so that we can help fund the care and support we provide to local patients and their families.
We therefore have a responsibility to ensure that each of our shops is making a positive financial contribution to the Hospice.
Despite considerable effort, investment and changes to the way both Fairfield and Threads operate, neither shop has been able to reach a position where it is financially sustainable.
Making the decision to close a shop is never easy, particularly because of the people and communities connected to it, but continuing to operate a shop at a sustained loss would not be a responsible use of the Hospice’s resources.
Why are you closing shops when Garden House Hospice Care needs to raise more money?
It is precisely because we need our Trading operation to generate as much income as possible for patient care that we have to make these decisions.
Our shops are fundraising businesses. The money they make, after their running costs have been paid, helps support Garden House Hospice Care.
Where a shop consistently costs more to operate than it is able to contribute back to the Hospice, we have to consider whether continuing to invest money in it is the right thing to do.
Our responsibility must always be to use our resources in the way that provides the greatest benefit to the patients, families and carers who need us.
Didn’t you recently refurbish the Fairfield shop?
Yes. We recognise that people may understandably question why we invested in Fairfield and are now making the decision to close it.
The refurbishment was part of a wider effort to give the shop every reasonable opportunity to become financially sustainable.
Over a number of years, we have tried different approaches at Fairfield, including changes to the shop’s concept and product ranges, vintage and children’s items, upcycled furniture, marketing activity and improvements to the interior of the shop.
The investment was made because we wanted to try to improve Fairfield’s performance rather than simply close it without first exploring whether changes could make it successful.
Unfortunately, despite those efforts and the commitment of our staff and volunteers, the improvement required has not been achieved and the shop continues to operate at a loss.
We have now reached the point where further investment cannot be justified.
Why wasn’t Fairfield given more time?
Fairfield has been part of the community since 2019 and we have spent considerable time trying different ways of improving its performance.
The decision has not been based on a short period of trading or one difficult year. We have looked carefully at its financial performance, customer footfall, local demand and its future prospects.
We have also considered whether further changes, investment or additional time would realistically enable the shop to become financially sustainable.
Sadly, the evidence tells us that it would not.
Threads has only been open for three years. Why close it now?
Threads was created as a different type of charity retail offer, focused on vintage, retro and pre-loved fashion, and we are really proud of the brand and following that our team has built.
However, the standalone shop has not generated the level of financial return needed to justify the cost of operating a separate premises.
Rather than continuing with a model that is not financially sustainable, we believe there is a better way to retain what people love about Threads while significantly reducing its overheads.
Does this mean Threads is disappearing?
No. Although the standalone Threads shop will close, the Threads brand will continue.
We will create a dedicated Threads concession within our Bancroft store, allowing customers to continue shopping the vintage, retro and pre-loved styles that have made Threads distinctive.
We also hope to continue bringing Threads to our community through pop-ups and events.
This means we can retain and develop the Threads brand in a way that is more financially sustainable and ultimately generates more money for the Hospice.
What will happen to the staff who work at Fairfield and Threads?
We know that decisions like this have a very real impact on people.
Our affected colleagues have been spoken to directly and are being supported through the formal consultation process. Throughout this process, our priority is to treat everyone affected fairly and with dignity, compassion and respect.
What will happen to the volunteers?
Our volunteers have given an enormous amount of time, energy and commitment to both shops, and we are incredibly grateful to every one of them.
The decision to close these shops is not a reflection on their contribution. Our volunteers, alongside our staff, have worked incredibly hard to make both shops successful.
We hope that volunteers who would like to continue supporting Garden House Hospice Care will consider joining us at one of our other shops or through another volunteering opportunity with the Hospice.
Is the closure a reflection on the staff or volunteers?
Absolutely not. Both shops have benefited from incredibly committed teams who have worked hard to improve sales, create welcoming shops and build relationships with their local communities.
There are some commercial factors that hard work alone cannot overcome, including the cost of operating a premises, customer footfall, local demand and the amount of income a particular location is able to generate.
We are enormously grateful to our staff and volunteers for everything they have done.
What will happen to donated stock at Fairfield and Threads?
Donated items remain incredibly valuable to Garden House Hospice Care.
Stock from the closing shops will continue to be used across our wider retail operation wherever it has the best opportunity to be sold and generate funds for patient care.
We encourage our community to continue donating good-quality items to Garden House Hospice Care. Your donations remain an important way of supporting your local Hospice.
Can I still donate clothes and other items to Garden House Hospice Care?
Yes, absolutely. We continue to welcome donations through our other Garden House Hospice Care shops and our wider retail operation.
Every quality item we are able to sell helps our shops generate more income for the Hospice and supports the care we provide for local people.
Are you closing any other Garden House Hospice Care shops?
These decisions relate specifically to Fairfield and Threads following a detailed review of their individual performance and future financial sustainability.
Like any responsible charity retailer, we continually review our retail estate to make sure our shops are operating effectively and generating the best possible return for Garden House Hospice Care.
Our commitment to charity retail remains strong. Our shops continue to be an important source of income for the Hospice, as well as an important presence within the communities we serve.
Could donations or fundraising keep the two shops open?
We are incredibly grateful whenever our community wants to help us, but we do not believe it would be right to ask supporters to subsidise the ongoing operating losses of an individual shop.
Our charitable donations are needed to help us provide care and support for patients and families.
The role of our trading operation is to generate money for that care, rather than require charitable funds to sustain it.
For that reason, we have to make decisions based on whether a shop can operate on a financially sustainable basis.
Does this mean Garden House Hospice Care is reducing its commitment to retail?
No. Retail remains an important part of the way we generate income for Garden House Hospice Care.
Our focus is on having a strong and sustainable retail operation that delivers the best possible financial contribution to the Hospice.
Sometimes that means making difficult decisions about individual locations so that we can focus our people, stock and investment where they can generate the greatest return.
What happens to the money made in Garden House Hospice Care shops?
The purpose of our trading operation is to generate profits for Garden House Hospice Care.
That contribution helps the Hospice provide care and support to people living with advancing illness, as well as their families and carers.
That is ultimately why financial sustainability matters. Every decision we make about our shops has to come back to one question: is this helping us generate the greatest possible contribution to the care of our patients and those who need us?
When will Fairfield and Threads close?
The final day of trading will be Wednesday 2nd September 2026.
Until then, both shops will continue to welcome customers and we would love our community to visit, shop and say goodbye to the staff and volunteers who have made them such an important part of their local communities.
Where can I shop with Garden House Hospice Care after the closures?
You can continue to support Garden House Hospice Care through our other shops across the local area and through our online retail channels.
Threads will also continue through its new concession within our Bancroft store.
We hope our Fairfield and Threads customers will continue to shop with us, donate to us and support Garden House Hospice Care.
What would you say to people who are disappointed about the closures?
We understand that people will be disappointed. We are too.
Our shops are about much more than transactions. They become part of their communities, build relationships with regular customers and provide meaningful volunteering opportunities.
That is what makes decisions like this particularly difficult.
However, Garden House Hospice Care exists to care for patients and families who need us. Our shops exist to support that purpose by generating vital income.
When a shop can no longer do that sustainably, however difficult it may be, we have a responsibility to act.
We want to say a heartfelt thank you to every member of staff, every volunteer, every customer and every person who has donated to Fairfield and Threads. Your support has mattered, and we very much hope you will continue to stand alongside Garden House Hospice Care.