Fund-raising appeal launched to help pay wages of staff at troubled Peterborough bar

A gofund.me page has been set up to help six employees at the 33 1/3 bar and performing arts venue in Westgate Arcade which is understood to have temporarily closed several weeks ago – just short of a year after its opening.

Jacque Marshall (31) of Peterborough, who says he became a regular at the venue, has launched the appeal to raise £14,000 that he says is about the amount that was owed to staff when the bar closed.

He said: “I got to know the staff very well and they would tell me what was going on.

“So when it closed I decided to set up the gofundme page to help them.”

Mr Marshall said that all six had since moved on but it was important they were paid for their work.

The gofundme page is called ‘Help six hospitality workers recover £14,000 in unpaid wages’.

It states: "Between us, we are owed approximately £14,000 for work that we completed.

"We turned up for our shifts, worked long hours, covered weekends, dealt with customers, and helped keep the business running.

“Like anyone else, we expected to be paid for the work we did.”

The amounts said to be owed range from £3,030.59 to £500.

The appeal adds: “For some of us, those missing wages have meant struggling to pay rent, cover household bills, or simply move forward after leaving a very difficult working environment.”

Richard Fincham, of Air & Paradise Ltd, who opened 33 1/3, has been approached for a response to the gofundme appeal.

In April, Mr Fincham launched his own fund-raising appeal warning that his bar, which sought to offer ‘a wide variety a vinyl music programming, live music, DJ sets as well as a growing cocktail menu’ was in danger of closing.

He warned: “We are just about eight months into trading and the first year for a small start up business is always difficult financially.

“It’s difficult for us and we now need some help and a leg up from someone (or more) to provide a cash injection into the venue to keep the momentum going and move us forward.

"I think if this doesn’t happen it may mean that we shall soon close.”

• The gofundme appeal page can be found here https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-6-hospitality-workers-recover-14000-in-unpaid-wages