Rowans Hospice Cosham Furniture shop reopens as Emporium with crowds gathering to see the opening

The Rowans Hospice Cosham Furniture shop on Northern Road reopened as the Cosham Emporium on Wednesday, June 26 as excited shoppers gathered outside. The established and popular shop will continue to sell furniture but has also added a craft section alongside vintage clothing and goods.

The change has proven popular already with a number of customers turning up to see senior staff nurse, Jemima Adams, cut the ribbon and officially open the store alongside the Charity’s executive chairman, Deborah Paris. It is hoped the change will encourage more income to the charity which is undergoing financial difficulties.

Katie Green, head of retail, said: “This used to be a furniture shop which did very well, but we wanted to add something slightly different to it to try to generate more income.

“We still sell furniture but we now have homeware goods, craft, and vintage. We noticed that across the stores that sell these items they are very popular, and there is nothing else like it in Cosham. With the hospice so close this is a flagship store for us so we are excited to see the response.”

The Rowans Hospice, a charity that provides free care and support to adults with life-limiting illnesses, recently announced redundancies as it faces an uncertain future. Samantha Jelliff, the charities director of finance, information technology & facilities, was at the launch and emphasised how important the charity stores are for the hospice.

Samantha said: “These shops are so important to us, especially at the moment. They generate a lot of our income and we need people to come and support us and purchase from our shops.”

Since the news broke of the financial trouble Samantha has been heartened by the response from the community. She said: “We have had an amazing response from people. We are really appreciative of people still supporting the hospice and for everything they are doing to help. We just need people to continue with that support for us.”

The Cosham Emporium is still seeking volunteers to help the hospice. With the new sections it may be of interest to people who love craft and vintage clothing and goods. Donations can be made to the charities distribution centre in Marshlands Road, Farlington. Further information can be found on the Rowans Hospice website.