Affordable, stylish and sustainable: our new Plympton charity shop has opened its doors!

28th July 2026

Opening our new Plympton charity shop

With spring heralding new beginnings, what better time to open our newest charity shop? Featuring rails and shelves filled with carefully curated stock, our new Plympton shop welcomed its first customers last week, eager to see beyond the beautiful window display singing with the colours of the season.

Located just a step away from Iceland on the Ridgeway, the new store is full of affordable, sustainable, pre-loved treasures to profit hospice care for the local community. In this case, good-quality second-hand clothes and accessories artfully arranged by colour, plus items of homeware and bric-a-brac.

From the wonderful window displays to the inviting interior, the shop is testament to the vision of St Luke’s Deputy Head of Retail Kerry Hearn and Cluster Manager Dee Coath, who oversees seven of our hospice shops, including this latest addition. Together with Assistant Manager Zoe Norman and the volunteers who generously give their time and skills to make a difference, they have worked flat out to ensure the shop is the very best it can be for our charity and the community we serve.

There at the launch to cut the ribbon was St Luke’s nurse Alice, joined by fellow nurse Teresa, plus Clare and Emma from our Patient and Family Support Team.

Clare said: “When people think of St Luke’s, they tend to think of those of us in the frontline, giving compassionate care and support. But what my colleagues and I do for patients and families simply wouldn’t be possible without the talented Retail team who’ve always got our backs.

“They’re part of something very special in the community and for the community, generating profits to make sure local people continue receiving the specialist care they need at the end of their lives.”

Personal connections

In common with many who work and volunteer for St Luke’s, Assistant Manager Zoe is motivated by a desire to give back to our charity for the care a loved one received. Her father Arthur spent a week at Turnchapel before sadly, he died in 2022.

Zoe, who lives in Plympton, said: “When dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, there were still certain lockdown restrictions in place due to the pandemic, but I’m so grateful that as a family, we were able to spend time with him at Turnchapel.

“Thanks to such superb service from St Luke’s, we went from being really busy taking care of things for dad to being able to just ‘be’ and make the most of our precious last days with him.”

Keen bargain hunter Jenny has her own personal reason for supporting St Luke’s. She said: “Over the years, friends and neighbours have received great care from the hospice and I have seen the difference it has made not just to them but to their families too.

“Such skills and compassion must never be taken for granted, and that’s why I’m keen to support the charity in any way I can. The shops are always so welcoming, and I never leave empty-handed!”

Shop volunteer Lynne Chinnock highlights her experience of breast cancer as one of the reasons she wants to continue giving to St Luke’s. Having already notched up five years’ service with our charity, she is looking forward to many more. Lynne said: “I love being part of such an active team. There’s a real family feel and we all support one another.”

Leading and learning

Leading the team is something Cluster Manager Dee regards as a privilege. Drawing on many years of working in multi-site retail management, she brings with her not only a wealth of experience but infectious enthusiasm too.

That said, Dee is not one to take all the credit for herself. She said: “Getting the shop ready for opening day has been no mean feat, but every member of the team has been incredible, from sorting through donations to steam-cleaning clothes and filling up the rails. We’ve started as we intend to go on, pooling our talents and learning from each other.

“Our volunteers are the backbone of what we do, and I am very grateful to every one of them for their contribution and generosity of spirit. Together, we are proud to serve the Plympton community, bringing in funds that will do much to ensure St Luke’s continued care for families in the area.”

The new Plympton store is open seven days a week, so if you’re in the area do call in and say hello. Whether you’re dropping off donations or browsing for bargains, thank you for continuing to support our compassionate care in the community.

Our shops

Related articles

Nina retirement
, ,

How Nina turned personal gratitude into a lasting legacy

After more than 14 years helping to shape and grow fundraising at St Luke's, Partnerships Manager Nina Wearne is preparing to retire, leaving behind a remarkable legacy of support for local hospice care.
Midnight Walk
, ,

Sunny skies and heartfelt memories as 1,300 join St Luke’s Midnight Walk

Nearly 1,300 kind-hearted walkers took to the sunny streets of the city on Friday 10 July night for Midnight Walk 2026, remembering special family members and friends and raising vital funds to support the compassionate end of life care St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth delivers in the local community.
, ,

A partnership built on gratitude: Why Michael Spiers supports St Luke’s Midnight Walk

Since 2023, Michael Spiers has proudly sponsored St Luke’s Midnight Walk, helping to support one of the charity’s most popular fundraising events. For Managing Director Adam Spiers, the relationship with St Luke’s goes far beyond business sponsorship.
St Luke's Guiding Lights
, ,

St Luke’s Guiding Lights: Plymouth’s spectacular lighthouse trail set to shine this summer

A spectacular line-up of more than 40 show-stopping lighthouse sculptures will map out a magical journey through the streets of Britain’s Ocean City this summer in a bold and joyful project that matches art and discovery with compassion and community.
, ,

Caring by day, fundraising by night: Emma’s Midnight Walk with her daughters

The compassion of our nurses doesn’t stop when they finish their shift. For Emma - a nurse working in our Urgent Care Service - the passion she feels for her workplace goes beyond the bedside and has even influenced her two daughters.
, ,

Standing alongside our Armed Forces community

As this year’s Armed Forces Day on Plymouth Hoe approaches (27 June), St Luke’s is proud to be recognised as a Veteran Aware organisation.
, ,

Tour de Moor 2026: Ride Dartmoor, ride for hospice care

On Sunday 11 October, our Tour de Moor returns, big, bold, challenging and full of heart. Whether you ride for the challenge, the scenery, or the cause, Tour de Moor stays with you long after the mud has washed off.
, ,

Sponsor a Guiding Lights star, celebrate a life and support local hospice care

Losing someone close is heartbreaking, yet the light they brought to our lives can live with us forever. St Luke’s is offering those whose loved one has died a touching way to remember that person who still shines brightly in their heart.
, ,

A midnight walk shaped by love, memory and an unexpected friendship

It was grief for her father that led to an unexpected friendship for Louise Sherwin, who will be taking part in our Midnight Walk on Friday 10 July.
PreviousNext

Our Care

Support us

Courses

Information

Megan’s mighty challenge for Nanny PearlRemember together at St Luke’s Midnight Walk 2025