A new charity shop with a resource hub for the blind will be opening in Trowbridge town centre this December.

Wiltshire Sight says that they hope the store will offer something for everyone as a unique blend of a charity shop and resource centre.

The freshly-designed shop on Fore Street in Trowbidge will offer great the bargains and hidden gems that you would expect from a charity shop.

However, the space has been designed with accessibility at its core and includes wide aisles on the shop floor, high-contrast colours and an accessible till system for visually impaired volunteers.

Opening on Friday, December 8, the store will mark the blindness charity’s first shop in Trowbridge, joining Wiltshire Sight’s other stores in Devizes and Salisbury.

“We are very excited to be opening our new premises, which will provide a base for local services in Trowbridge, enabling us to provide more local, accessible services for people living with sight loss,” said Mike Silvey, CEO of Wiltshire Sight.

“We're incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped make this happen – our supporters, our volunteers and those who have generously donated such high-quality stock. 

“As a small local charity, we rely on members of our community supporting us, and they really have done us proud,” he added.

In the West of England, more than 53,000 people are currently living with significant sight loss, and Wiltshire Sight is the only charity that provides local face-to-face support services in the county.

People living with sight loss often need to re-learn how to safely use their kitchen and move around their home and so the new resource hub will include lots of technology and daily living equipment for people to relearn how to do daily tasks in a safe environment.

The resource hub will be situated behind the new charity shop and it will also act as a safe and confidential space for appointments, a support and resource centre for those with sight loss, and just a place to socialise with to other people who understand the daily struggles of visual impairment.

“Sight loss sadly does have practical and emotional consequences. It can restrict social and personal interaction, leading to isolation, whilst also removing a person’s independence as they rely on others for simple tasks,” said a spokesperson for the charity.

“Wiltshire Sight exists to make sure people don’t just survive but thrive after sight loss.”