There are some things that just feel like the right fit.
For us at Eagle House, supporting Katharine House Hospice is one of them.
We are very proud to be an award winning Accommodation Provider in Eccleshall and, following our recent Gold award for Regenerative Tourism at the Visit Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Tourism Awards, we have been thinking even more about what responsible and regenerative tourism really means to us.
it is not simply about recycling, reducing energy use or trying to buy local produce, although all of those things are important. It is also about being part of our local community, supporting local organisations and finding ways for our business to have a positive impact on the place we call home.
That is why for several year now, Katharine House Hospice has been our chosen charity.
A charity that means a lot to us
Katharine House Hospice provides specialist care and support to people living with life limiting illnesses, as well as supporting their families and loved ones. Their work makes an enormous difference to people across Staffordshire at what can be an incredibly difficult time.
There is also a personal reason why the hospice is particularly important to us.
Before Eagle House, Helen worked as a nurse, so she understands just how important good palliative care and compassionate support can be for patients and their families. It is one of those things that you perhaps do not fully appreciate until you have seen the difference it can make.
Katharine House does such important work and we are very happy to support them in whatever small ways we can.
Our favourite charity shop
One of the nicest things about supporting Katharine House is that their charity shop is right here in Eccleshall.
It has become one of our favourite places to pop into and we are regular visitors. The lovely staff know us well and are always very welcoming. They are also dog friendly, which is particularly important to Teddy, our Bichon!
Ted absolutely loves going in and the feeling seems to be mutual. He has become quite well known in the shop and we are always happy to recommend a visit to our guests who are staying at Eagle House.
For Helen, charity shopping is as much about the hunt as anything else. There is something rather special about finding an old piece that catches your eye and imagining the story behind it.
We have found some wonderful vintage Staffordshire china in the Eccleshall shop, much of which is now used around Eagle House.
Some pieces are decorative, while others are actually used by our guests. You may well find yourself eating breakfast from a piece of vintage Staffordshire crockery that Helen has rescued from the charity shop!
It is these little details that help give Eagle House its sense of place.
We are not trying to create a generic luxury B&B that could be anywhere. Eagle House is in Eccleshall, in Staffordshire, and we want our house to reflect that.
Giving old things a new life
Buying pre loved furniture and homewares is also a really important part of our approach to sustainability.
Rather than always buying something new, we love finding things that already exist and giving them another lease of life.
Sometimes that means using something exactly as we found it. Sometimes Helen gets creative and upcycles it into something completely different.
It is amazing what can be done with something that someone else no longer wants!
We have used charity shop finds throughout Eagle House, from furniture and decorative pieces to the Staffordshire china that we use for breakfast.
When we have things that we no longer need, we donate them back to the charity shop. So there is a lovely circular element to it. Something we no longer need can be enjoyed by somebody else, while at the same time helping to raise money for Katharine House Hospice.
That feels like a very good reason to keep rummaging!
Helping our guests support Katharine House too
We also have a Katharine House collection box in the hall at Eagle House. We never want guests to feel that they have to donate, but we like to give people the opportunity if they would like to. We also make our own donations to the hospice.
We often mention the Eccleshall shop to guests too, particularly if they enjoy browsing independent shops, vintage finds or charity shopping.
It is a lovely little addition during a visit to Eccleshall and a great way of supporting a local charity while discovering something unusual to take home.
If you are a serious charity shop fan, there are plenty more to explore during your stay. We enjoy visiting the charity shops in nearby Stone and Stafford too, so there is plenty of opportunity for a Staffordshire charity shopping expedition!
Sustainability is about more than the environment
Our sustainability journey at Eagle House has always been about trying to make thoughtful choices.
We have worked hard to reduce our environmental impact, including reducing our carbon footprint, recycling and composting, growing some of our own food, using local produce where possible and reusing furniture and decorations.
We believe sustainability is about people and communities too. Which is why we provide a free space to the local Chess and Crochet clubs.
Our Regenerative award has made us particularly proud because it’s about looking at how tourism can contribute positively to the places people visit.
We want our guests to enjoy Eccleshall and Staffordshire, but we also want their visit to benefit the local community.
That might mean eating at a local restaurant, visiting an independent shop, exploring a local attraction or, in this case, buying a vintage cup and saucer from the Katharine House charity shop!
It is all part of the same idea.
A small part of something much bigger
We know that what we do at Eagle House is only a small contribution to the incredible work carried out by Katharine House Hospice.
But we believe small things matter; a charity shop purchase, a donation, a piece of furniture given another life, a collection box, a recommendation to a guest. They all add up.
There is something particularly lovely about supporting a charity that is part of our own community and whose shop we can walk to from Eagle House.
So, if you are staying with us, why not take a little stroll along Eccleshall High Street and pop into Katharine House? You will know that your purchase is helping support the vital work of Katharine House Hospice.
Come and stay in Eccleshall
We love sharing Eagle House and our lovely corner of Staffordshire with our guests.
Whether you are visiting for a relaxing break, exploring the Staffordshire countryside, walking, enjoying local food or simply looking for somewhere rather special to stay, we hope you will enjoy discovering Eccleshall for yourself.
As an award winning B&B, we are passionate about providing a memorable stay, but we also want Eagle House to be part of the wider community.
Supporting Katharine House Hospice is one small but very meaningful part of that.
And if you happen to leave with a piece of vintage Staffordshire china tucked safely into your bag, so much the better!
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