News Release  

Issued  9.2.10  For immediate use

Author to cut the tape, as Harrogate's Christian bookshop rescued

A specialist bookshop in Harrogate, which closed down when its parent company went into liquidation, has been rescued by a national charity and will reopen this Saturday. Previously known as Wesley Owen, the Christian bookshop in Harrogate’s Commercial Street will officially reopen under its new name, Living Oasis, at 1pm, this Saturday February 13th.

Popular Christian author and speaker, Adrian Plass, will cut the tape at the official ceremony to which church and civic leaders from throughout the region have been invited. 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.   A director of the charity, Revd. Andy Twilley, will be at the reopening to explain more about the charity’s plans for the shop.

Manager of the bookshop, Julie Jowett, will become Northern Regional Manager for the Living Oasis chain as part of the rescue, and says she is delighted by the news. “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 this Saturday.”

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.  

In a statement, Mr Twilley of the Nationwide Christian Trust says 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.

ENDS

Editors: You are invited to cover the reopening,  1pm, Saturday February 13th at the new Living Oasis bookshop in Commercial Street, Harrogate.

More information from manager, Julie Jowett, 01423 521 662 

Issued by John Carter (Rev)
Press and Communications Officer, Diocese of Ripon and Leeds

jhgcarter@aol.com
01423 530369 or mobile 07798 652707