St Catherine's Hospice opens new superstore in Crawley

St Catherine's Hospice has opened its largest-ever charity Superstore at 37-43 Queensway in Crawley, featuring more than 2,500 clothing items and a volunteer team of over 140.

St Catherine's Hospice has opened a new Superstore at 37-43 Queensway in Crawley, officially launched at an evening event with a ribbon cutting by Crawley Mayor Councillor Sharmila Sivarajah and Store Manager Leanne Chew. The unit is the charity's largest-ever shop and is about three and a half times the combined size of its two previous Crawley stores. The space follows substantial renovation of the former Sainsbury's unit that closed in 2021. The Superstore is intended to expand the hospice's retail presence and community volunteering opportunities. Key details: - Location and size: the Superstore occupies 37-43 Queensway and is roughly 3.5 times the combined size of the charity's two former Crawley shops. - Launch: the store opened with a ribbon-cutting at an evening launch attended by local dignitaries and guests. - Volunteers: the shop will involve more than 140 volunteers and aims to offer a range of roles, including opportunities for businesses to arrange staff volunteering initiatives. - Stock and services: the Superstore has over 2,500 items of clothing and shoes on display, with furniture, bridalwear, bicycles and an upcycle repair shop due to open in the coming weeks. - Donations: a rear loading bay is available for large donations and can be booked online through the hospice's website. - Hospice context: St Catherine's reports it costs around £14 million to run its services each year, with less than a third funded by the NHS, and that the hospice cares for about 2,000 people and their families annually across West Sussex and East Surrey. Summary: The new Superstore expands St Catherine's retail footprint in Crawley and broadens opportunities for volunteering and skills development in the town centre. It is presented as a fundraising and community hub to support the hospice's specialist end-of-life care, and an upcycle repair centre and additional departments are reported as opening in the coming weeks.