New Start Highland is set to refresh the Inverness retail scene with a brand-new pop-up shop, that opens today, taking over the former Dreams store on Harbour Road.
Customers can expect to browse a range of high-quality pre-loved furniture, homeware and clothing, with new deliveries arriving weekly, thanks to the continued generosity of community donations.
Complementing New Start Highland’s second-hand offerings is a curated selection of furniture from its sister furniture brand, Unique Ness. This upcycled furniture line transforms donated pieces into one-of-a-kind creations, all developed in-house at New Start Highland’s training workshops.
Chief Executive of New Start Highland, James Dunbar, said, “Over the past 25 years, the generosity and support from the community has grown year on year and so has the demand for our services, more specifically, the access we provide to high-quality homeware at affordable prices.
“Our pop-up shops not only bring more sustainable shopping options to the community but also help breathe life into temporarily vacant shopfronts. Having a new presence in the Longman is so exciting for us and we can’t wait to welcome new customers.”
Retail is just one strand of New Start Highland’s wide-ranging commercial operations, which also include removals, storage, house clearances and commercial training. All profits generated are reinvested into the charity’s mission to help individuals facing crisis and poverty transform their lives.
Through holistic support services, including housing assistance, furniture provision and employability training, New Start Highland empowers people across the Highlands to build sustainable futures.
New Start Highland, which is marking its 25th year, is at a key point of growth with the imminent launch of Scotland’s first Training & Reuse Village. The £500,000 project will reconfigure it’s Carsegate site to feature pre-loved retail outlets, a bike repair hub, a tool library, a café and a training kitchen. It is expected to create up to 40 new trainee and employment opportunities annually, building on the support New Start Highland offers to over 1,500 people each year.
Following the success of last year’s pop-up pilot at Henderson Road, New Start Highland’s latest retail venture will bring the same temporary format to expand access to sustainable shopping. The new shop will be open six days a week, from 9am-5pm.
For more information please visit newstarthighland.org.