Residents thanks for their support in campaign to save much loved community and charity store Unity in Peterborough's Queensgate
Residents have been thanked for their support in the early stages of backing the bid to save a much loved charity and community store in Peterborough.
UNITY, run by Up The Garden Bath CIC has been open in Queensgate for the last two years and has supported countless community projects, charities and small businesses.
The store’s future is under threat though after being hit with a bill for £20,000 after being denied charity business rates relief. While Peterborough City Council praised the organisation’s positive impact across the city, national legislation has prevented them from granting full relief.
In order to safeguard the shop’s future, the team has turned to the people of Peterborough to help, asking for just one per cent of the Peterborough population to donate just a tenner to help keep the shop going.
Dave Poulton has previously told the Peterborough Telegraph: “We are asking one per cent of the population of Peterborough – that’s about 2,000 people – to help us out and donate £10 each.
“We have options. We can close – that isn’t an option. We can convert half the shop into second hand clothing, which we really don’t want to do, or we can ask the public to help us. Our new campaign is centered around helping Unity keep on blooming.”
In just over two weeks, the campaign has raised close to £2,000.
Dave as well as Kez Hayes-Palmer said: “UNITY has become such a special place for so many — supporting local makers, welcoming 25,000 people to our free Create & Craft area, and helping make Peterborough greener, more creative and more connected.
“In the last two weeks, we’ve already raised nearly £2,000, which is incredible — but there’s still a long way to go.
“If you can, please spare a tenner to help us reach our goal, and share this with anyone who might want to get involved.
"We’ve always believed in the power of community — and now we really need ours to believe in us. Thanks so much for your support.”
The campaign has also introduced new corporate sponsorship packages (Silver, Gold and Platinum) for local businesses willing to lend their support and gain visibility through UNITY vehicles, the store, events and marketing.
To support the campaign, visit https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/up-the-garden-bath.