Weston Hospicecare is hunting for a new base after making the difficult decision to close one of its charity shops.

The charity has reluctantly decided to close its Aller Parade store as it is no longer cost effective to run.

The hospice's 17 charity shops make a substantial contribution to the hospice's annual running costs of £4.2million a year, but performance is regularly reviewed to ensure they are each proving cost effective for the charity to run.

The Aller Parade store will cease trading on May 17, bringing to an end the hospice's eight-year stay in the Oldmixon estate.

Efforts are now being made to find alternative roles for the shop's manager and assistant manager, and the 13-strong volunteer team who support it.

A search has begun for an alternative premises to replace the Aller Parade shop.

Weston Hospicecare's retail director Gemma Turner said: "We of course have a responsibility to manage our resources in the best interests of Weston Hospicecare, and that means ensuring shops are run in the most efficient way.

"That can sometimes mean changes need to be made to our portfolio, and while it's always a difficult decision to close a shop, we believe this change is in the best interests of Weston Hospicecare.

"I will be meeting with staff and volunteers to discuss the way forward for them all, and we will do our utmost to find the right outcome for all concerned. I would, however, like to pay tribute the wonderful team at Aller Parade for their work through the years, which has been valued and appreciated.

"I would also like to thank our customers who have been incredibly loyal over the years; it's a shame we cannot continue to serve them from Aller Parade, but we do hope to see them at other Weston Hospicecare shops soon."

The Aller Parade shop specialised in £1 items.

Shoppers can find an alternative Weston Hospicecare £1 store in Walliscote Road.

Meanwhile, the hospice's shop in Weston High Street closed on May 2 for two to three weeks to enable essential maintenance works to be carried out.