Shops in Portsmouth: new Moving On Project charity shop opens in Kingston Road amidst rise of cost of living pressures

The Moving On Project Portsmouth, a charity which helps vulnerable people suffering financial hardship to furnish their homes, launched its new charity shop headquarters at 27-29 Kingston Road, Buckland on Monday, September 4. The occasion was marked with a visit from Portsmouth City Council leader and charity patron councillor Steve Pitt, and a performance by the Pompey Pluckers ukulele group. The shop made more than £400 in its first day.

NOW READ: 'Amazing' charity Moving On Project Portsmouth reopens with improved headquarters

The charity was formerly based in Albert Road, Southsea – which closed earlier this year. Charity founder Sarah Knight says the new site is well suited to help the people most in need in the city. The project has supported more than 5,000 households since it was established in 2017.

Sarah said: “I’m slightly overwhelemed – its been so full-on. We did have [a shop] in Albert Road but unfortunately it got a bit expensive and we grew out of it so we shut that earlier this year.

"We keep a close eye on which referals come from which wards – we know which wards are needing the most. St Thomas, Nelson and Charles Dickens are always at the top, every month. When Steve [Pitt] found the shop in Kingston Road, we knew that was the one for us. It brought us back to the wards that need us the most.”

Sarah also explained that the number of referals to the charity has increased this summer from an average of 15 to 50 per month.

She added: “That’s 150 families in three months. Its been chaos because we rely on donations from the public and we can only give out what we get in.

Theres an awful lot of demand for bedroom furniture.”

NOW READ: Tributes paid to Portsmouth boy, 6, who died suddenly as grieving family launch funeral fundraiser

The new charity shop features a “quiet area” with two archairs for people to relax in and a kitchen for volunteers to use, courtesy of the Southsea Castle Rotary Club.

Sarah thanked everybody who has helped with the move, including her landlady who has gone the extra mile to support the charity.

The shop made over £400 on its first day of business.