Author cuts the tape as Harrogate's Christian bookshop rescued

Manager Julie Jowett with Adrian Plass outside the Harrogate bookshop

A specialist bookshop in Harrogate, which closed down when its parent company went into liquidation, has reopend after being rescued by a national charity.

Previously known as Wesley Owen, the Christian bookshop in Harrogate’s Commercial Street was officially opened on Saturday February 13th as Living Oasis. Popular Christian author and speaker, Adrian Plass, cut the tape at the official ceremony in a shop packed with church leaders, well wishers and supporters.

The shop is the first to reopen after being rescued by the Christian charity, the Nationwide Christian Trust, which plans to rescue a further 15 bookshops, all of which traded under the Wesley Owen banner.   

Manager of the bookshop, Julie Jowett,has become Northern Regional Manager for the Living Oasis chain as part of the rescue, and says she was delighted the shop was once again open for business. “It was a big blow when Wesley Owen went into administration as Harrogate was a profitable shop. We have received many messages of support from churches in the region and the Nationwide Christian Trust is keen to work in partnership with them. They have bought the building, and invested hundreds of thousands of pounds safeguarding most of the jobs here at Harrogate.  God has answered our prayers and we are really excited to be reopening.”

The Living Oasis bookshop in Harrogate will continue to sell books, Bibles, cards, CDs and DVDs,  children’s books and a wide variety of resources for churches.  It had to close for nearly two months after Wesley Owen’s  parent company,  IBS-STL UK, went into administration last December.  

Andy Twilley (pictured right), a director of the Nationwide Christian Trust said that the charity stepped in because they believe that the former Wesley Owen bookshops had an important role to play in the local community.  “There is something really important at stake here because we believe that having a Christian presence on our High Streets is really significant. We want these shops to become centres of activity, with a life and vitality which goes way beyond the products on the shelves, including possible ways the premises can be used outside normal opening times for other imaginative projects or events.”

The Nationwide Christian Trust says it also plans to reopen the former Wesley Owen bookshop in Vicar Lane, Leeds in mid-March and will be working in partnership with Leeds churches to develop the shop with new cafe and meeting facilities. A meeting of local church leaders is planned for Thursday March 4th.