A new family charity shop and support hub has opened in Christchurch.
Home-Start Wessex has transformed empty retail units in Saxon Square into a shop and welcoming space for parents and children, with shelves stocked with clothing, toys and equipment, alongside a reading corner designed for families to spend time together.
Staff and volunteers will use the shop to guide families towards the charity’s wider services, including trained volunteers who visit mums at home, early intervention for high-needs families and community groups, while also hosting activities such as storytime sessions.
Chief Executive Kathy Fryatt-Banks said opening the first shop marks an important step for the charity, adding that it provides a vital income stream and a new way to reach families locally after a period of growth across Dorset and into parts of Hampshire and Wiltshire.
Over the past year, 1,716 lives were transformed and 526 families were supported, with 12 groups running across the county, including 2 for homeless mums in hostels, and the charity is now seeking volunteers and donations to support its work.
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