“Ty Hafan sends a heartfelt thank you to everyone in Tenby and the surrounding areas who has supported, donated and volunteered at our shop over the last five years” said Ty Hafan’s director of retail and fundraising, Julian Hall.
After opening in 2015 and having contributed over £86,000 towards expert care for life-limited children in Wales, Ty Hafan has made the difficult decision to close its Tenby shop due to the trading challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.
The charity shop on Tenby’s High Street shut its doors in March due to government lockdown measures, but as the country starts to lift lockdown, the shop will not be reopening.
Mr. Hall commented on the closure, thanking those who have kept the shop going over the years.
“We’ve had some of the most wonderful staff and volunteers in the Tenby shop and they have done a fantastic job,” he said.
“I want to say a huge thank you to each and every one of them.
“We’ve faced significant fundraising challenges over the last few months and, as a result, are having to make difficult decisions.
“Ty Hafan relies heavily on donations to keep its doors open, so now, more than ever, we need to spend the publicly fundraised money wisely and prioritise delivering expert paediatric palliative care to those who need us,” he continued.
The news follows the launch of an urgent appeal after Ty Hafan announced that they are facing a £2million income loss this year – almost 50 percent of what it costs to run the hospice each year.
The Charity is currently supporting 14 children and their families in the Pembrokeshire area and hopes that, despite the shop closing, the community will still get behind the local Ty Hafan families and continue to host local fundraisers in the area or continue to support their nearest Ty Hafan shop.
Other Ty Hafan shops facing closure as a direct result of Covid-19 are Merthyr, Bridgend, Maesteg, Pontypridd and Cardiff Albany Road.
Mr. Hall, added: “We are so proud of what we’ve achieved at our Tenby store, and the money raised is testament to the wonderful community effort.
“It’s not a final farewell from us and we would love to return if circumstances allow in the future.
“In the meantime, we’ll be working on ways in which we can continue to be part of the community for years to come.”
Find out how else you can support Ty Hafan by visiting their website here: www.tyhafan.org/support-us or make a direct donation to their urgent ‘Caring through the Crisis’ appeal by visiting www.tyhafan.org/appeal.