The Earl Mountbatten Hospice has relocated its shop in Ventnor with the aim of creating a more open and flexible model for the future.
As well as offering a range of second hand goods for sale in order to raise money for the Island charity in the usual way, the shop will also include space for people to come along and seek information about Earl Mountbatten services across the Island. Information leaflets will be available as well as free internet access, situated in a bespoke relaxing area where tea and coffee and a chat with a volunteer will be available for those who want it.
People are also encouraged to use the shop as a social ‘hub’ to meet friends and others in a relaxed and friendly environment. In time. Earl Mountbatten hopes to offer a range of services and group opportunities for the local community within the shop premises.
The new shop, which is situated on Pier Street in the Town Centre, will have an official opening ceremony at 10:00 on Monday 8th January 2018 and it will then be open 6 days a week, Monday to Saturday, 09:30-16:30. At the opening, there will be an opportunity to hear from the Chief Executive, Nigel Hartley, as well as a photo opportunity together with shop staff, volunteers and members of the general public.
Nigel Hartley has said:
“As current leases expire on our existing shop, we have the opportunity to look for better deals and more beneficial locations across our Island. We also have the opportunity to rethink the old charity shop model, so that we are also able to offer our retail locations as a space to also deliver some of our services more locally.
“We know that we are going to need to reach more people during the coming years, exploring the use of our shops to include information and support ‘hubs’ is an important way for us to learn what kind of hospice services and support people can benefit from within their local communities. We hope that the Ventnor community will work with us to develop this shop as an exemplar of what our local Earl Mountbatten shops can look like in the future”.
The Earl Mountbatten Hospice has 10 shops across the Isle of Wight which raise over £1million towards its work year on year.
