After several years of closure, the Tea Hatch at Shotley Bridge Hospital has officially reopened under the care of Willow Burn Hospice, bringing light refreshments back to patients, staff, and visitors.
Thanks to the dedication of Joan Littlefair, who worked closely with the NHS Property Team and Aaron Archibald (Senior Estates Manager – NHS Property Services), this much-loved service is once again offering hot and cold drinks, along with sweet and savoury snacks.
Rachel Quince, Deputy Chief Executive and Head of Fundraising & Marketing at Willow Burn Hospice, said:
“We’re proud to bring this special space back to life and have been overwhelmed by the response to Willow Burn taking it over. My sincere gratitude goes to our volunteers and everyone who made it possible to reopen this service. We are very much looking forward to serving the Derwentside community at Shotley Bridge Hospital.”
The Tea Hatch is now the second of Willow Burn’s catering services, alongside the popular Willows Café, located at the hospice which has become well-known in the local area for coffees, lunches and of course, the cheese scones.
Importantly, all proceeds from both the Tea Hatch and Willows Café go directly toward funding hospice care services at Willow Burn – helping to support individuals and families across Derwentside.
The Tea Hatch when fully operational will be open Monday to Friday, 9am - 4pm (if you pop by and we happen to be closed, please bear with us as we recruit more volunteers. Whilst we recruit, updated weekly opening times are available on the Tea Hatch shutter).
