As most of you will know, moving house is a long and expensive affair. Especially so if, like me, you’ve just bought your first home — you have no furniture, rugs or appliances to your name, so the list of things you need to buy seems to expand even as you tick them off.

Up until this point, my husband and I have lived at the whim of the taste of whichever landlord we happened to be renting from. I don’t miss the matching dark purple rug, curtains and sofa in the last place.

While we were excited to finally be kitting out our own place, our thrill was somewhat dampened by the growing price tag. That was until, however, my Nan let me in on a little secret: Storeroom2010 in Cowes.

She had found herself a bargain or two there, she said, and my cousin had bought much of the furniture he needed for his first home there, too.

Of course (as Nans usually are), she was right. And what started as a place for me to find some cheap furniture quickly turned into me shouting from the rooftops about this Island gem of a charity. So, I thought it was worth telling you all about it, too.

For those of you who don’t know, the Storeroom is a large warehouse based in Cowes’s industrial estate (opposite Aldi). It is full to the brim of second hand furniture, from sofas to bookshelves, dining tables and trinkets. 

Its mission is to use items donated by Island residents to be able to offer furniture at competitive prices for those who are less fortunate, and may not be able to afford the bits they need to make their living space a home. The prices are already incredibly reasonable (we bought a TV stand there for £16), but customers in need can be referred to the Storeroom and benefit from a further discount.

The Storeroom also collects donations of household items for free, limiting the amount going to landfill or simply being trashed on the side of the road. This naturally encourages Islanders to reuse and lengthen an item’s lifespan, reducing waste and helping the Island become more sustainable.

On top of this, it has a great employment ethos. It aims to help people from a variety of backgrounds, including those with learning difficulties or disabilities, find a route to employment. This includes those in the Island Probation Service who are required to work unpaid hours.

Since it opened in 2010, the experience, social interaction and confidence gained from working at the Storeroom has helped more than 50 people move from a volunteer position at the charity into paid work.

So whether you are looking to get rid of some unwanted furniture, searching for a bargain or simply want to support a wonderful Island initiative, think about the Storeroom. Just last week I saw a groovy-looking electric piano organ for £40 — if I had an inch of house left to spare, it would have been mine.