Are you a pre-loved fashion fiend? Threads has you covered. 

Brought to you by Garden House Hospice Care, Threads is the latest addition to the Hitchin shopping scene.  

With a vision of becoming a sustainable retailer of choice on the high street, Threads brings the Hospice one step closer, making a positive impact not only on fast fashion and vital fundraising but also on the planet. 

Located in Churchgate, this new shop packs a punch, selling the most vibrant vintage garments and gems to treasure. 

Carla Pilsworth is Director of Income Generation at Garden House Hospice Care. She said: "With thirteen shops and an established presence in North Hertfordshire and surrounding towns, we know what we are doing when it comes to selling pre-loved clothes and we do it well.

"What we didn't have was a brand that appealed to the younger audience that we want to attract in our shops.   

"When speaking to customers loyal and new, we had feedback that our shops were great, but people wanted a different shopping experience which felt more comfortable and didn't feel like a "charity" shop.  

"Threads creates a space for the local community to shop, volunteer and give back through donations of unwanted items. Every purchase will make a change, turning pre-loved into re-loved whilst directly funding palliative care locally.  

"Second hand shopping used to be for bargain hunters only, but that's no longer the case. In the next 5 years, sustainable and pre-loved fashion is going to take over the high street, leaving fast fashion in the past.  

"We're really excited to be part of Hitchin high street, joining other independent retailers in the town. Thank you to Jolly Brown in particular for joining us as an ambassador. " 

Shop pre-loved. Save pennies, Support palliative care. CREDIT: GHH

Garden House Hospice Care provides free specialist palliative care for patients, families and carers facing life limiting illnesses from across North Hertfordshire, Stevenage and towns and villages in Central Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire, serving a population of around 260,000 people. 

Working with a medical team of highly experienced doctors and nurses, the Hospice has specialists in a wide range of roles including complementary physiotherapy, bereavement, occupational therapy, complementary therapy and spiritual care. 

It costs Garden House Hospice Care £6.5m to provide their services, and although they receive some funding from the NHS, they need to raise £9,700 every day in charitable income and greatly rely on the support of the community - local businesses, groups and individuals to help fund their work. They also rely on the support of a fantastic team of volunteers to help them deliver services. 

Every purchase you make at Threads directly supports our local community, ensuring people facing a terminal diagnosis have someone by their side at what can be a scary and lonely time. So, next time you shop second hand, give yourself a pat on the back knowing your bag of goodies really does go the extra mile. 

Owner of Jolly Brown, Hannah, joined the Hospice for the grand opening, adding: "I'm really excited to support this shop as the Hospice is a cause that's close to my heart. It's also an incredible shop.

"I can see myself buying lots in here! I'm thrilled to welcome a new shop to Hitchin that is going to add to the vintage and second hand shopping scene. "   

Last year Garden House Hospice Care saved 102 tonnes from landfill. Their mission moving forward is to increase this to a minimum of 120 tonnes each year.