13 February 2026
- MEDIA RELEASE -
Harbour Hospice has announced that its Te Hana Shop will close in April, following a difficult and carefully considered decision.
Chief Executive, Amanda Fowler, says this reflects a combination of workforce, operational and financial pressures that have made it increasingly challenging to sustain the shop long-term.
“This was not an easy decision,” Amanda says. “Over time, ongoing challenges with staffing and volunteers, alongside broader operational pressures, have meant the shop is no longer sustainable in the way it needs to be.”
While the shop’s doors will close on Saturday 18 April, Amanda emphasises that Harbour Hospice’s commitment to the people of Te Hana, and the wider Warkworth/Wellsford community, remains strong.
“We’ll continue to serve the area through our Warkworth and Wellsford shops and through the wider hospice services we provide, ensuring people can still connect with us in meaningful ways.”
The Te Hana Shop’s “small but committed” group of volunteers, led by Manager Melissa Hunt, alongside the generosity of the community, is the reason the shop has been able to operate for as long as it has, Amanda adds.
She also acknowledges the decades of service to rangitahi and the wider community offered by the shop’s landlords. “Their commitment has been real and heartfelt, and we are deeply grateful for the role they have played in supporting this mahi.”
The Te Hana shop opened in August 2019, offering a welcoming space where people donate, shop, volunteer, connect and support the essential work of Harbour Hospice. It’s one of 17 shops that help fund the vital care provided free of charge across the community.
“Every donated item, every purchase has helped make hospice care possible for hundreds of tūroro/patients, their families and whānau. That impact will be long-lasting, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who has been part of its story,” Amanda says. From 28 February any local donations will be gratefully accepted at its Wellsford and Warkworth Shops. In addition, Wellsford will now be open six days a week from May.
– Ends –
Editor’s notes
Harbour Hospice is a specialist, palliative care provider for families living in the Hibiscus Coast, North Shore and Warkworth/Wellsford communities. It provides compassionate, free care working with tūroro/patients, families, whānau and carers in their homes, and within its three hospice sites.
A dedicated team of specialist nurses, doctors and family support professionals work together to provide holistic care and support - medically, spiritually, culturally, psychologically and socially - helping people live every moment in a way that is important to them.
