Match-funded donations help Bognor's Grandad's Front Room to help others

Grandads Front Room CIC is appealing for donations after its six-week fundraiser was approved for Aviva Communities Fund match funding.

Grandads Front Room CIC, Bognor Regis’s much-loved 'one-stop worry shop', is making an urgent appeal for donations to help it continue supporting some of the area’s most vulnerable people.

More than just a second-hand shop, Grandads Front Room CIC provides a lifeline for people and families who have nowhere else to turn. Every week, the organisation supports around 25 families and individuals facing some of life’s toughest challenges, including homelessness, domestic abuse, illness, sudden loss of income and unexpected personal crises.

Its dedicated volunteers work alongside local organisations and partners to provide practical help when it matters most. This includes furniture, white goods, emergency shopping assistance and affordable second-hand household goods, helping people make ends meet and rebuild their lives.

Grandads Front Room goes beyond essential items as well. The shop also offers a welcoming community space, with a table where people can drop in for a cuppa and a chat. It is a welcoming, friendly place to talk, be heard and find out what help is available, without fear of judgement.

Now, the organisation needs the community’s help in return. Grandads Front Room CIC is struggling to cover the essential costs, including storage for furniture awaiting reuse, van running costs and shop rent. Without these essentials, its ability to collect, store and redistribute furniture and household goods, and to continue helping people in crisis, is under increasing pressure.

Aviva’s Communities Fund has thankfully stepped in to support their appeal by match-funding donations, meaning every pound donated will be doubled.

Founding Director Danny Dawes said:

“We are so much more than a second-hand furniture shop. We are a lifeline for people who have run out of options, a place where people can ask for help without fear of judgement, and a reminder that nobody in our community should be left behind.

“Every week, we see just how much difference practical support and a listening ear can make to someone going through a difficult time. A washing machine, a bed, a fridge or simply having someone to talk to can make an enormous difference to a family trying to get back on its feet.

“We are approaching our 10th anniversary this month, and we would love to have something positive to celebrate. Please help us reach our fundraising goal and make sure we can continue being there for the people who need us most.”

As Grandads Front Room CIC prepares to mark a decade of supporting the local community, the team hopes residents, businesses and community groups will rally behind the appeal.

To support the Grandads Front Room CIC fundraiser, members of the public can make a donation to https://communitiesfund.avivafoundation.org.uk/p/financial-resilience-and-wellbeing-with-grandads