MILITARY personnel united for the grand opening of a new Test Valley charity shop reaching out to bereaved families of armed forces personnel.

Forces Support has opened a new store in Abbey Walk in Romsey to support fundraising efforts of the award-winning charity.

Now management and staff there are urging people to come and see what bargains they have on offer and are making an appeal for donations of new stock.

It comes just weeks before thousands of people from across Hampshire are preparing to attend Remembrance Day events across the county to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice during military campaigns across the globe.

Forces Support was launched in 2010 by father and son Bill and Billy McCance, after a friend’s husband had died fighting in Afghanistan, and has since worked to help grieving families rebuild their lives.

It helps provide home and garden maintenance services for families – often to cover jobs that have built up over time while a family is grievingor work that a lost loved one would have normally done around the home.

They also offer furniture collection and house clearance services and its workers can help convert people’s gardens into Remembrance areas in memory of their lost loved ones.

The new Romsey shop - which is decked with patriotic Union Jack flags - is among a network of stores around the country created to raise funds for the organisation.

Guests at the opening toured the store and looked at stock which is already filling the shelves for people to buy which includes a range of goods including furniture, bric a brac, clothes and electrical goods.

Romsey Mayor , Councillor John Parker, and Sergeant Major Andrew Long joined manager Karen Ratsey-Woodroffe and her step-son Ruben for the opening. Staff are calling for residents to donate more stock.

The national family-run charity has won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for its innovative approach to supporting more than 80 families a year.

To apply for support you must be a parent, partner or child of a serviceman or woman who died whilst in service with the UK Armed Forces.

The death will be through accident, conflict, illness or suicide and you do not have to be registered next of kin.See forcessupport.org.uk for more information.