A small team from the charity have spent six weeks refurbishing the shop themselves.
Head of retail, Sallie Quinlan, said: "We have had a small shop in St Leonard’s Road for seven years but when the opportunity arose to secure a larger premises just opposite we jumped at the chance - the time felt right to expand what we do and create a unique charity shop experience.
"We love being in Bexhill and have a strong customer base here. We hope our customers old and new enjoy our bigger space with more stock. It’s been a labour of love and many long days working on the shop so we are delighted to finally be open.
"We are pleased to be a part of the rejuvenation happening in St Leonards Road and have had great support from the many independent shops that make up the incredibly warm community in the street and Bexhill in general. We would like to thank the people of Bexhill for their amazing support and custom, we hope you will continue to shop with us so we can help even more people“
Some of the people directly supported by Emmaus crafted shelving, a counter using donated wood, and upcycled other furniture to use for fittings. As far as possible the shop has reused donated furniture and items throughout to meet its objective of sustainability and to reduce waste that may otherwise have gone to landfill. The store is largely staffed by the same people who benefit from the charity and have experienced homelessness themselves.
The shop is open Monday- Sat 9.30-3.30.
Emmaus is a charity that supports formerly homeless people by providing accommodation, support and meaningful work in their social enterprises, on the vans collecting and delivering furniture and refurbishing items. You can find out more about what they do and donate by visiting the website:
https://emmaus.org.uk/hastings-rother/