Kissypuppy shop marks 11 years in Newport: 11 terrific toys and more to discover

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.

11 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.

a shop front

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

“We can’t stop. What would they do?” she asks.

Sophie’s Shop opened a few weeks before Sophie 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 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.

some toy dogs

“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. She was happy just the way she was,” says Gemma.

“11 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.”