Highland Hospice has plans to boost lockdown income
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HIGHLAND Hospice has two outlets in Inverness city centre – a café and a charity shop.
Café in the City is in the Eastgate Centre and the shop is in Queensgate, so both are centrally located.
Andrew Leaver, the charity’s head of fundraising and development, said they took over the café earlier this year and were open for just a week before they had to close it because of the lockdown.
He said: “We also have the Café by the River – in the hospice grounds – but it’s closed at the moment just to reduce footfall.”
Visitors to the café are required to observe social distancing and there is table service both inside and outside the premises. He said: “Business is picking up.”
They are planning a refurbishment next year and Mr Leaver said: “It will improve facilities for customers and allow us to change the menu.”
The café is operated on behalf of the hospice by Cobbs with all profits going direct to the charity.
The unit next to the café is currently vacant and Mr Leaver said it will be transformed into Santa’s Grotto during the festive period.
Mr Leaver said they were hoping to relocate the shop early next year and they have been at the current location for the past 25 years.
He said: “We are hoping to move to a more high profile location and once we know for sure we will let people know.”
It is one of 13 Highland Hospice shops across the Highlands and he said sales were starting to pick up. He added: “People are happy to be shopping again – people love a bargain.”
He said the shop was a good source of sustainable fashion. He said: “The Inverness shop is fairly well stocked – we get a lot of donations.”
