Emmaus Suffolk has been confirmed as a new tenant of the former BrightHouse unit in Ipswich town centre.
The charity will be moving its wellbeing hub and shop to 44 Carr Street from its current base at Sailmakers shopping centre.
Emmaus Suffolk supports people who are experiencing homelessness, social exclusion, and long-term unemployment.
The charity, which currently has five stores across Ipswich and Felixstowe, will relocate two shops from Sailmakers Shopping Centre to the new location on September 18.
The new 3,025ft store will be everything customers love about Emmaus Suffolk under one roof, with bargain furniture, homeware, and preloved clothes and accessories.
READ MORE: Former BrightHouse building has a new occupier
The new space will also host a range of the charity’s wellbeing hubs, inviting people to get involved in crafts, games, and mindful activities to improve their mental health and wellbeing.
This year, Emmaus Suffolk has seen a sharp increase in people attending their free hubs due to the cost-of-living crisis.
This new space allows the charity to increase its capacity and invite more people to connect with their local community.
Claire Staddon, CEO of Emmaus Suffolk, said: "Ipswich has always welcomed our new initiatives and shops with open arms, and we hope that our new home on Carr Street will be no different.
"We’re really excited about this bigger space and to welcome shoppers to it in early autumn.
"We’ll be sad to leave our premises in Sailmakers Shopping Centre where we’ve been since 2017.
"This is an important time of growth for our charity, taking on this bigger shop will allow us to support more people that we know are in need in Ipswich."
Rachael Jackson of Penn Commercial added: "We are really pleased that we have been able to help to find Emmaus Suffolk an inspirational new space in Ipswich town centre, and the charity’s presence will help to rejuvenate this part of the town even further."
To mark the move, the charity launches a party with drop-in wellbeing activities and an amazing stock of preloved items for customers to browse.
The event will take place in collaboration with Ipswich.Love and will invite the public to write love letters to Ipswich and share what they love about the town.
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