Peggy Bainbridge

We were extremely saddened to learn of the death of our dear friend and founder of our retail operation Peggy Bainbridge on 31 October 2021.

Peggy first became involved with the charity (then called Iain Rennie Hospice at Home) in 1992 after a friend’s husband received fantastic care from the hospice at home nurses. It inspired her to do what she could to raise money to support the charity so that others could benefit from the care her friend and her family had received.

Peggy began the retail fundraising operation with a market stall in Tring on Fridays selling a vast array of donated items. The stall soon became the first Tring shop in 1993 and, driven by Peggy’s determination and passion for the charity’s work, donations grew and volunteers were recruited to help make the shop a great model for fundraising success.

More shops followed and today Rennie Grove’s Retail and Trading department boasts 26 shops, an ebay and Depop store and raises around £3 million in a typical year.

Even after her retirement, Peggy’s passionate belief in the charity was undimmed and she continued to volunteer her time until the end of last year to support the retail team at the Berkhamsted office that was named after her – Bainbridge House.

During her time as a volunteer, Peggy used her keen eye for a gem or antique of value and her excellent contacts with people who could value items for us to maximise income from donated items. She used her well-honed social skills along with persuasion, delegation and networking skills over many years to find ways to raise money and get others involved.

In 2016 she was the well-deserving recipient of two prestigious national awards; the British Citizen Award in honour of her 25 years of dedication to the charity and the Charity Retail Association’s Volunteer of the Year Award for her continued incredible contribution.

Rennie Grove’s Chief Executive, Stewart Marks, said:

“We are really pleased that our hospice at home nurses and Rapid Personalised Care Service were able to care for Peggy towards the end of her life allowing her to stay at home as she wished – something she had made possible for so many people throughout more than 30 years of raising funds for the charity. Her contribution over the years has been truly inspiring and she will always be an important part of Rennie Grove. We will all miss her greatly and send our deepest sympathies to Peggy’s family.”

You can donate money in memory of Peggy Bainbridge on the JustGiving page set up by her family here.

Peggy’s family will be holding a special memorial event for Peggy in the spring/summer of 2022.

Read Peggy’s own account of the birth of Rennie Grove’s retail operation here.