Guid Reads Community Book Shop
Donation protected
UPDATE 13th SEPTEMBER - WOW!!! Thank you all! We will leave the fundraiser live until the end of February for those of you who would still like your name on the wall! We are overwhelmed and touched and making big plans! First to go is the huge counter we inherited that will make lots more space for even more bookshelves! We are beyond excited and so so grateful to each and every one of you! Any extra we make will go towards the mini-refit and any fees we incur along the way! You have truly changed our lives!
UPDATE SEPTEMBER 3rd - What an incredible 3 days! There has been press and legalities and all sorts to contend with as well as the scary of the official figures for buying the shop. The initial amount was an educated guestimate based on some information that turned out to be 2 years out of date I think due to overexcitement. Our fundraiser stands at just shy of £47000 as we speak which is incredible and we are able to put in an offer which will mean by April the shop will be hours. Our final cost all in is going to be £55000. I am going to increase the total here on the off chance because miracles do happen, however we are going to work incredibly hard at selling lots of books between now and then and will top up the "buy the shop" account every month! But for your generosity that wee surprise in the value might have panicked me but I have learned in the past few days that nothing is impossible and miracles really do happen. And if I could personally hug each and every single one of you believe me I would! THANK YOU ALL!!!!
UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2021 - a year into this project and a unique opportunity has presented itself - we are going to try and buy our shop building! For a £35 "stake" we will write your name on the outside of our shop and give you the option to receive a free pre-loved book every month for a year... it's such a crazy idea it might just work!!!!!!!!!
UPDATE: THE SUPPORT FOR THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN OVERWHELMING TO SAY THE LEAST! THE SHOP IS NOW OPEN AND IS ALREADY, AFTER 10 DAYS, MAKING A HUGE DIFFERENCE TO THE COMMUNITY. THIS GO FUND ME WILL NOW BE USED TO HELP TOWARDS THE RUNNING COSTS. IT COSTS £20 PER DAY JUST TO KEEP THE DOORS OOEN AND THE LIGHTS ON. THANK YOU SO SO MUCH FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE SUPPORT.After starting a community book swap in the park in Alva and thinking I'd maybe get 2 or 3 people I was overwhelmed with the response and it got me to thinking - how amazing would a community book space be? A cosy second hand book shop that would donate the profits to charity, provide cosy comfy reading chairs, a place open from 10am - 7.30pm manned by volunteers with a kettle and a friendly ear. A space community groups could use for knit and natter, book clubs, kids read-a-longs and bedtime stories, just a really cosy safe space where people could come along and feel like they belong somewhere. Books would be donated by the community and people could make a donation to "buy" them.Comfy, cosy, friendly, welcoming and all about the community.The space I'm looking at is perfect, and break even costs for the premises covering insurance, rent and electricity would be around £20 per day, more than do-able - the hurdle is the deposit and set up cost which would come in at around £900 (this covers 2 months rent to secure the property plus a wireless card payment terminal) - Anything raised over and above this would be an added bonus! I figure 5we could furnish it with second hand bookshelves / display units and arms chairs etc - all of which would be for sale in the store too to increase profits!I'm excited - I love how the community has embraced this project!Let's do this!
UPDATE SEPTEMBER 3rd - What an incredible 3 days! There has been press and legalities and all sorts to contend with as well as the scary of the official figures for buying the shop. The initial amount was an educated guestimate based on some information that turned out to be 2 years out of date I think due to overexcitement. Our fundraiser stands at just shy of £47000 as we speak which is incredible and we are able to put in an offer which will mean by April the shop will be hours. Our final cost all in is going to be £55000. I am going to increase the total here on the off chance because miracles do happen, however we are going to work incredibly hard at selling lots of books between now and then and will top up the "buy the shop" account every month! But for your generosity that wee surprise in the value might have panicked me but I have learned in the past few days that nothing is impossible and miracles really do happen. And if I could personally hug each and every single one of you believe me I would! THANK YOU ALL!!!!
UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2021 - a year into this project and a unique opportunity has presented itself - we are going to try and buy our shop building! For a £35 "stake" we will write your name on the outside of our shop and give you the option to receive a free pre-loved book every month for a year... it's such a crazy idea it might just work!!!!!!!!!
UPDATE: THE SUPPORT FOR THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN OVERWHELMING TO SAY THE LEAST! THE SHOP IS NOW OPEN AND IS ALREADY, AFTER 10 DAYS, MAKING A HUGE DIFFERENCE TO THE COMMUNITY. THIS GO FUND ME WILL NOW BE USED TO HELP TOWARDS THE RUNNING COSTS. IT COSTS £20 PER DAY JUST TO KEEP THE DOORS OOEN AND THE LIGHTS ON. THANK YOU SO SO MUCH FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE SUPPORT.After starting a community book swap in the park in Alva and thinking I'd maybe get 2 or 3 people I was overwhelmed with the response and it got me to thinking - how amazing would a community book space be? A cosy second hand book shop that would donate the profits to charity, provide cosy comfy reading chairs, a place open from 10am - 7.30pm manned by volunteers with a kettle and a friendly ear. A space community groups could use for knit and natter, book clubs, kids read-a-longs and bedtime stories, just a really cosy safe space where people could come along and feel like they belong somewhere. Books would be donated by the community and people could make a donation to "buy" them.Comfy, cosy, friendly, welcoming and all about the community.The space I'm looking at is perfect, and break even costs for the premises covering insurance, rent and electricity would be around £20 per day, more than do-able - the hurdle is the deposit and set up cost which would come in at around £900 (this covers 2 months rent to secure the property plus a wireless card payment terminal) - Anything raised over and above this would be an added bonus! I figure 5we could furnish it with second hand bookshelves / display units and arms chairs etc - all of which would be for sale in the store too to increase profits!I'm excited - I love how the community has embraced this project!Let's do this!
Organizer
Ruth Turner
Organizer