Can Bristol charity justify new signs ahead of saving hospice?
The charity had been due to spend in the region of £43,000 to replace signs on its shops across the city over the next three years.
A third of the charity's 48 shops have already had new signs installed and the others will be replaced before 2011.
The new signs that have been appearing on shops across the city feature simple writing on a navy background and no longer include the St Peter's Hospice hands logo.
Use of the logo has also changed on the charity's stationery.
Campaigners fighting the closure of the St Agnes Avenue hospice in Knowle have criticised the charity's spending on shops and stationery when they are closing the spiritual home of St Peter's due to cost.
The hospice is expected to close its doors by the end of the month, although the charity has not given an exact date because it depends upon the patients they are caring for at the time.
A thanksgiving service is due to be held next week. The charity confirmed the closure of the Knowle hospice in July because the recession had left them about £500,000 short of their annual running costs.
St Peter's chief executive Sandie Foxall-Smith said the 112-year-old building needs about £300,000 worth of work to make it fit for purpose and closing the site will save the charity more than £500,000 a year.
A woman, who did not wish to be named and who has been volunteering at Knowle but will be giving up when the hospice closes, said: "They have changed the signs at the Broadwalk shop.
"The shops are being re-done yet they say they do not have enough money to keep Knowle open."
The charity's commercial director, Andrew Hufford, said the St Peter's Hospice shops are an important source of income for the charity and the amount they make has increased in the last 10 years from £200,000 to an estimated £1.8 million for this year.
He said there had never been a plan to replace all the signs in one year and that no contract had been signed, but said that over a two to three-year period the project could cost in the region of £43,000.
Mr Hufford said: "Whenever we work with shops we look at the best cost at the time.
"We would go out to tender and would be looking to get as competitive a price as we can."
The charity will continue to replace signs for maintenance reasons.
"We still need to portray a positive and professional image to our customers and supporters whilst fulfilling our obligations under our leases.
"Most of the shops we have are on a leasehold basis and in the terms of the lease we have a responsibility to maintain properties.
"Just because we are a charity, we cannot get rid of our responsibility or liability.
"We have always upgraded our shops because they are the hospice's biggest income stream.
"The brand has been refreshed, the colours have been changed and we are trying to make them consistent."
Mr Hufford said stationery notepaper and compliments slips would be changed when new stock was needed.
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