Finding Your Furniture
Whether you are looking for a dining table, a new sitting room suite, or furniture for your bedroom, a trip to the Hospice Household Shop in Castlebar should definitely be on your agenda. The shop is located in the N5 Retail Park on the Moneen Road in the County town. This is Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation’s only dedicated household shop that has everything you would expect, and more. The outlet opened its doors some nine years ago and by all accounts, has proved a wonderful addition to the town.
Management and Stock
Managed by Seán Moran, the large retail unit is always full of fantastic deals and fabulous furniture. “We have always been really lucky with the donations we have received, but of course, we’re always happy to open our door to more,” he said with a smile.
Furniture Inventory Details
In terms of furniture, the Mayo Roscommon Hospice Shop in Castlebar stocks everything from bed frames and wardrobes to lockers and chests of drawers. “We don’t take mattresses or divan beds, and we also don’t accept what are known as white household appliances such as washing machines and fridges, but aside from that, as long as items are in good condition, we want to hear from you,” Seán continued.
Donation Assessment
The vast majority of the furniture and other household goods that are offered to the Hospice Shop are in excellent condition. “We always ask people to send us photos so that we can get an idea of what they are wishing to donate. This allows us to see if the items are sellable and appropriate. Of course, a photo doesn’t always tell the full story, but most of the time, we’re able to judge from the pictures,” he added.
Delivery and Collection Services
For the larger goods, the store has two vans on the road looking after both deliveries and collections. “We travel all over the region dropping off and picking up furniture. Often, we get the offer of a house clearance and that can be hugely beneficial,” Seán explained.
Household Items and More
Of course, as well as the larger furniture, the store stocks a wide range of household items like clocks, glasses, vases, tableware, and other bric-a-brac. Children’s toys and clothes are also popular, while the shop does a big trade in books too.
Book and Media Sales
“We always have a really impressive display of books in the shop, as well as CDs and DVDs. In the last year or so, we also started working with World of Books who provide a collection service. They collect the books from us and pay the Foundation according to the value of the book,” noted the manager.
Seasonal Stock: Christmas Items
Over the last few weeks, the Christmas stock has proven hugely popular. “We get all sorts of donations at this time of the year, as people start to take decorations down from the attic and maybe decide they want something different or that their need has changed in some way. As a result, we get lots of Christmas trees, decorations, Santa figures, snowmen, and lots more, and they are always snapped up quickly. That said, there’s more coming in all the time, so we are always worth a visit,” he reasoned.
Team and Volunteer Support
Seán has a brilliant team with him in the Mayo Roscommon Hospice Shop Castlebar. The shop has four full-time and three part-time staff, together with a wonderful group of volunteers. They also have some team members from Tús – the community work placement scheme – providing additional help on the vans and in the shop. “We have an excellent team in Castlebar and of course, we are always so grateful to our donors and volunteers too. Without them, the shop simply would not exist,” Seán admitted.
Operational Challenges and Goals
Of course, running such a big operation comes with its challenges too. “I suppose it’s a good complaint, but on occasion, we have so much stock that it’s difficult to fit it all. It comes down to managing the logistics a lot of the time. If there’s stock coming in, we might have to try to get some of the deliveries out earlier than planned, so that we can make room for it. We would hate to have to turn away good furniture because at the end of the day, it’s all about raising money for the Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation and supporting the wonderful work being done by our palliative care teams across both Mayo and Roscommon, and supporting our two purpose-built hospices,” he remarked.
Donating and Contact Information
For anyone looking to donate goods to the Hospice Household shop in Castlebar, it’s as easy as popping into the store or picking up the phone to arrange a collection. “We would appeal to people to never leave bags of goods or furniture outside our store when we’re closed. We can always work with you to organise collections and we’re open six days a week, Monday to Friday from 9.30am until 5pm, and on Saturdays from 10am until 5pm,” he explained.
To contact the Hospice Household Shop, you can call the team on 089 701 7222, email castlebarfurniture@hospice.ie or simply pop in to speak with Seán or one of the staff. Your support is always greatly appreciated.
Our shops play a vital role in supporting hospice care. Find a Mayo Roscommon Hospice Shop in your community.
