Registered Charity No. 262732
Friends of Savernake Hospital

The Friends’ Shop 

Come and visit us!

The Friends of Savernake Hospital & Community (aka FoSH) opened the Shop at the Hospital on March 1st 2010. The tiny treasure trove of a shop is run by a team of wonderful volunteers, and aims to provide a first-class service to patients, staff and visitors. One of the most important of these is the daily Trolley Shop which is taken up on to Ailesbury Ward each morning.

If you’d like to know more about volunteering at the Shop, please have a look at the Volunteering page.

Since 18 October 2021 the Shop has been opening again every weekday.  Currently we have reduced hours (mornings only) as we are still waiting for some clinics to resume face to face appointments.  Our Trolley Shop to Ailesbury Ward has also resumed.

What does the Friends’ Shop sell?

New for 2022 – we are now stocking hearing-aid batteries on behalf of the NHS.

  • newspapers and magazines
  • paperbacks for 50p – bring one in and get another one free
  • sweets, crisps and biscuits
  • all sorts of toiletries including soap, shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrushes, tissues and cotton wool
  • envelopes, notepads and pens/pencils
  • cards and gift wrap for all occasions
  • first- and second-class stamps
  • boxes of chocolates, gifts and lots of other goodies
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We also have gorgeous handknitted items for gorgeous babies – volunteers Merryl and Elaine knit fabulous toys, and we’re sent baby wear from lovely ladies from all over the country.

We sell other useful things like hearing aid puffers (great for clearing out hair and fluff) and walking stick ferrules (that’s the rubber bit on the end of your walking stick or zimmer).

And if we haven’t got it, we’ll get it! You only have to ask, so if you are visiting a patient on Ailesbury Ward and they need something, save yourself a journey and try us first.

FoSH Nosh – our cookbook
We’ve gathered some of our very favourite recipes into the FoSH Nosh Cookbook, to help raise funds for the Friends. It’s stuffed full of delicious, easy-to-make recipes, and at £5 makes a great present. Available from the Shop at Savernake Hospital.

Contacting the Shop

The Friends’ Shop telephone number is 01672 517317, but is only answered if a volunteer is there. 

For more information about the Shop ring our Shop Coordinator, Ian on 07789 112298/01672 512302

How the Friends’ Shop started
Val Compton is perhaps best known in Marlborough for her long and high profile campaign to save the Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) and Day Hospital at Savernake. It culminated in no lesser place than the Royal Courts of Justice having nipped in to the House of Lords en route. About 10 hearings were clocked up successfully, only losing on the last.

What’s not so well known is that Val, with the able assistance of Janet Louth (Friends’ Chair) set up the shop in Savernake Hospital. Having got the go ahead from the Friends’ Committee, the shop project was tackled with customary zeal. Val said it was quite a challenge as she’d never run a shop, let alone designed and set one up before! The Friends’ Shop opened on March 1st 2010 with offers of help from over 20 volunteers.

Click here to see ‘The making of the Shop’

The Friends of Savernake Hospital and the Community
We are a charity set up to support individuals and organisations involved in healthcare both at Savernake Hospital and in the wider community, with the aim of enhancing the quality of life of those affected by ill health and or disability, and supporting their care and wellbeing.
Our Contact Details

The Friends of Savernake Hospital and the Community
Savernake Hospital Friends’ Shop
London Rd
Marlborough
SN8 3HL

01672 517317
Shop telephone (only answered if a volunteer is there)

info@friendsofsavernake.org