The closure of the Community Group charity shop at 7 Cinque Ports Street was reported in Rye News on September 24. It appears that the Community Group wanted to renegotiate the terms of its partnership with ARRCC (Activities, Respite, Rehabilitation, Care Centres) by seeking to increase its share of the profits. This was not acceptable to the board of ARCC, which still had the financial responsibility for maintenance of the building.
Following a number of amicable meetings between Grace O’Neill, chief executive of ARRCC and Kate Sims, chair of the community shop management committee, the two organisations have agreed to go their separate ways. The following press statement was jointly agreed:
“The Rye Community Charity Shop was opened in April 2013 in partnership with ARRCC as a charity shop with a difference, supporting not just one charity but also local community groups. It has operated as much for the local community offering affordable items as well as raising valuable funds and has proved to be extremely successful. The shop has been run entirely by volunteers and has relied solely upon donations and the goodwill of the public.
“The management committee of the shop felt that now was the right time to look to establish and market itself independently of ARRCC and as a result following discussions, the partnership is to be amicably dissolved at the end of September”.
ARRCC plans to re-open the shop in Cinque Ports Street in three weeks’ time, run by volunteers, to take on the business of “pre-loved fashion and homeware” currently located in the Landgate, combined with that of a charity shop. The Landgate premises (pictured above – which some may remember as the Turtle Gallery) have been put on the market for sale by the owners of the building.
Photo: Kenneth Bird