City charity set to move into forever home after hunt for permanent base as Spark Community Space prepares to move into the Pompey Centre in Fratton
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Spark Community Space, which aims to help people who don’t feel like they fit in to access the support and services they need, has been on the hunt for a permanent base to run operations from.
After operating the charity temporarily from Sherlock’s Bar in Southsea until it found a suitable location and adequate funding, founder Rebecca Simmons has officially received confirmation that the charity will make its home inside the Pompey Centre in Fratton.
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Hide AdRebecca has received planning permission to turn the old Portsmouth Football Club shop into a café and charity shop, from which she will run the charity.
She said: ‘We’ve been looking for a space for so long and it has been such a long journey, made easier by the fact we’ve been able to run from Sherlock’s Bar in the interim, but I’m absolutely thrilled that we’re finally going to have a home of our own.’
The charity shop side of the space will work as a way to help fund the charity.
Rebecca is planning on officially launching the space in mid-May, coinciding with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
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Hide AdIt will be open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and will be open to other non-profit community groups and charities to hire on the days it is closed.
Rebecca said: ‘We’re going to be a real community hub for everyone to use and get the support that they need. It’s going to be the beating heart of the city. We’ve already helped so many people and changed lives during our coffee mornings at Sherlock’s Bar – just think what we can achieve when we have a proper home to call our own.
‘We still have a journey to go and we’ll be doing our due diligence and getting the lease signed, but we are ploughing forward while continuing inside Sherlock’s Bar until we are ready to launch. Watch this space.’
City companies are chipping in to help the charity get properly on its feet, with Hilsea-based GRP Solutions helping with the refurbishment and Hayling Island-based KSM Telecom providing lifetime broadband and communications.