Stonehouse Shop Closure

When we opened the Stonehouse shop in 2012 it was an exciting prospect for all. It would allow us to spend more time in the local community which had been home to the first ever time bank. Thanks to countless volunteers we were able to get it decorated and staffed, kicking off our first step into social enterprise. However, after just over five years of good times we’re having to wind things down. We went out with a bang on Saturday the 28th with lots of people popping by to say goodbye.

Here’s a word from Sue, our operations manager, on the reasons leading to this decision.

The closure is a reflection of a range of difficulties that have affected Stonehouse in the last 18 months and have impacted, not just on Fair Shares, but on other traders in the area.
 
This brought matters to a head and, following considerable exploration of alternative solutions, we came to the difficult decision that we could no longer sustain the shop which was not making sufficient income to cover its costs. The likelihood was that the situation would not improve in the foreseeable future.
 
Despite this, Fair Shares remains committed to working in Stonehouse and we are exploring the best way to make Fair Shares more involved and visibly so, in the Stonehouse community

 
As mentioned, this is not the end to Fair Shares in Stonehouse. We’re looking into various ways to keep our presence felt in the area and will hopefully be able to give some good news regarding this in the coming months.

We would like to give heartfelt thanks to the volunteers and staff that have helped us throughout this journey. Some noteable faces include Maria, Annie, Vicky, Malcolm, David, Clare, Pam, Linda, Jenny but of course we are grateful for everyone either named or not.