KissyPuppy Shop Marks Eleven Years In Newport

KissyPuppy (The Sophie Rolf Trust) which funds hospice facilities for children at Mountbatten Isle of Wight, is celebrating 11 years of its popular kids’ shop in Newport.

Sophie’s Shop was inspired and opened by the Isle of Wight six-year-old who died in 2013.

She had a rare and aggressive brain tumour.

Medical interventions were unable to stop its devastating spread.

Sophie wanted to raise ‘pennies to help other children’ and the family decided to gather funds toward Isle of Wight children’s hospice services, in her name.

Eleven years on, Sophie’s mum, Gemma Blamire, is proud to say facilities and services funded by KissyPuppy continue to help support Isle of Wight children and their families.

As well as the serious services, nurses are funded to deliver fun activities too, including taking the children out ‘to every activity possible’, including parties and other events.

Sophie’s Shop opened a few weeks before she tragically died.

Some of the first items for sale were actually donated by Sophie and her brother. It has become something that unites her family and friends, who put everything into its day-to-day running.

There are sorting sessions, to work through the scores of toys, books and clothes that are donated weekly and hours spent on the shop floor,
which is shared with Mountbatten Isle of Wight’s Newport branch, in Lugley Street, behind Boots.

Working in partnership, Mountbatten and KissyPuppy - The Sophie Rolf Trust won the Hospice UK Innovation Award in 2017.

Mountbatten says it is delighted to be working closely with KissyPuppy now and into the future to ensure Isle of Wight end-of-life services are available for children and young people, and their families.

“I never expected we would be here after 11 years,” says Gemma.

“You look at what our shop brings in and what it does and it’s just amazing.

"We’re so supported by local people. It’s gone beyond what we imagined right at the beginning.”

Gemma says Sophie would have loved the Sylvanian Families and small figures for sale.

“She never wanted anything. She would play with whatever she had," says Gemma.

“Eleven years is a long time, really, but in other ways it feels like yesterday. You still remember everything.

“My proudest moment was Sophie opening the room at Mountbatten Isle of Wight and it being recognised as one of the first projects like it in the country.”

To mark 11 years of Sophie’s Shop, here is our Christmas Countdown of just some of the things that you can find in-store:

• Eleven Little Tykes tooting: Encourage your little ones to make themselves heard. We have drums, keyboards, shakers and more
• Ten Tiggers bouncing: Surely everyone’s favourite character from the much- loved classic, Winnie the Pooh!
• Nine carrots cuddling: Star of Christmas TV for the last few years
• Eight Mystery Machine gangs: Scooby Doo figures for you, this Christmas.
• Seven cheeky elves: Including one GIANT one!
• Six games for playing: Grab a bargain and enjoy some traditional fun over the festive period.
• Five rusty Tow Maters: Disney’s Cars fans look no further.
• Four roaring dinosaurs: T Rex? Stegosaurus? Roarsome fun is covered at KissyPuppy.
• Three Christmas board books: Share a magical moment with a literary favourite.
• Two Toy Story favourites: Well not just two – we have plenty to go around!
• And some Sylvanians in their own home: Sophie’s favourite