Nine weird and wonderful treasures discovered in hospice shops

When it comes to unusual donations, this one might just take the cake - or rather, the chicken!  

At St. Columba’s Hospice Leith Walk shop in Edinburgh, staff were left bewildered when they discovered a full roast chicken dinner, still hot, at the bottom of a donation bag. A generous supporter had accidentally dropped off his uncle’s Sunday roast while making a stop to donate items on his way.

Realising his mistake, he quickly returned to retrieve the meal, much to the amusement of the shop's staff and volunteers. It’s not every day that you get a hot meal along with your donations! 

St Luke’s Hospice shop in Plymouth got the shock of a lifetime when volunteers discovered a decommissioned hand grenade nestled among some donated toy soldiers! Upon opening, shop assistant Toby recognised the potential danger and immediately called emergency services.

“I’m a bit of a history fan, and the grenade looked genuine to me. It turned out it was!” said Toby. The police quickly cordoned off the area, while Royal Navy experts confirmed the grenade was deactivated and harmless. After a brief evacuation, the shop was back to business as usual.

This shocking discovery has left everyone wondering what the mystery donor was thinking, but it’s just one of many bizarre items to come through hospice shops. Some donations may have a story, but not every tale should be this explosive! 

Annie and Jim, long-time supporters of St Wilfrid’s Hospice in West Sussex and Hampshire, had a lovely surprise during one of their regular visits to the Chidham shop. As they browsed the shelves, they came across a Stirling Moss book, and inside, there it was: a photo of themselves from over 60 years ago!

The image captured a moment from the 1962 Goodwood Motor Circuit, where Annie and Jim were on hand as volunteer medics. That day, they helped save Stirling Moss’s life after a serious crash, so finding the photo in a shop they love was a heartwarming blast from the past.

Now, their grandson owns the book, and the couple continues to support the hospice that means so much to them. 

When Nathalie Ramirez secretly donated her mother’s "hideous" doll, she thought she’d finally rid herself of its eerie gaze. The doll, named Hannah, had been haunting her since her mum added it to her vast collection over a decade ago. So, while clearing out her mother’s old house, Nathalie slipped the creepy figurine into a donation box bound for St Columba’s charity shop in Edinburgh, hoping it would disappear without a trace.

However, Hannah had other plans…

Soon after landing in the shop window, the doll’s “creepy” stare began spooking passers-by. Hannah the doll became an internet sensation, going viral on social media before being sold to celebrity psychic Deborah Davies for £200.  

Nathalie’s mum, initially horrified to discover the fate of her beloved doll, now finds it hilarious that Hannah ended up raising more for charity than anyone could have imagined. As for Deborah Davies? She plans to keep the doll under "24-hour surveillance" - just in case. 

Ed Sheeran is famous for his hits in the charts, but his latest is in charity auctions!

Ed Sheeran's generosity has made a huge impact at East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice. Through a series of eBay auctions, over 260 of his personal items - ranging from boxer shorts to Ipswich Town merchandise - have raised an astounding £27,000 so far.

The top-selling item, an Ipswich Town hoodie, went for an impressive £770, while even his boxers fetched as much as £330!  

“We’ll be drip-feeding these for sale throughout the year, which means the final total, based on the average selling price so far, could reach around £45,000,” said ecommerce manager Scott Campbell.

The national and international media buzz around the auction has been phenomenal, but the real win is the difference this money will make for families supported by the hospice. 

When it comes to unique donations, great-grandad Sergio’s contribution to a Saint Francis Hospice shop in Essex was truly one-of-a-kind: a 200-year-old solid metal cannonball!  

Discovered by his wife Maria while digging up weeds in their garden 26 years ago, the historic artifact had long been a conversation piece in their home. After showing it to Valence House Museum, experts estimated the cannonball was at least 200 years old, though its origins remained a mystery.

Inspired by the incredible care he’s been receiving from the hospice, Sergio decided it was time for the cannonball to find a new home. The retail team sold the extraordinary find on eBay for £24.99 - enough to cover an hour of care for a patient. 

When Sally, a volunteer at East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice’s Hadleigh shop was sorting through donations, she never expected to come across an old wartime journal.

The A5 journal was among a box of “very old and fragile” books and had been written by a French Scout making a pilgrimage through his homeland in 1942. The journal’s deeply personal reflections left Sally fascinated as she began to translate the text from French to English.  

With her passion for history and antiques, she took it upon herself to track down a relative of the writer - and remarkably, she found one! After exchanging messages, the journal has now been safely returned to the family on the South Pacific island of New Caledonia.

“Hopefully this shows how much care and respect we have for donations,” added Sally. 

One of the most exciting sales at Princess Alice in Esher recently was a vintage concertina that turned up in their Shepperton shop. It wasn’t just any instrument though: it was a rare Charles Jeffries concertina, made around 1900, and recognised by a sharp-eyed staff member for its incredible value.

Instead of keeping it in-store, the item was listed on eBay, and it sold for an astonishing £4,200! This single sale will cover the cost of 40 Hospice at Home visits, helping Princess Alice to continue providing essential care for patients.

Every donation truly makes a difference, and this one shows how a little extra expertise can turn a small item into something priceless for those in need of hospice care. 

St Luke’s Cheshire Hospice have had some interesting donations over the years, but when John Anderson donated a fully functional boat, it definitely turned heads!

The boat, complete with furnishings, sold on eBay for an impressive £1,649—plus an extra £400 with Gift Aid. Its new owner, Graham, even made the journey from York with his trailer to pick it up.  

Staff at St Luke’s described how this generous donation is one of the most unusual and profitable listings they’ve ever had, with all proceeds going directly to patient care.  

They added, "We’re grateful to Mr. Anderson and every supporter who makes donations like these possible."