March 30, 2011

Living Oasis Harrow: Message to Churches: Please pray…

Posted by Phil Groom under Christian Bookshops, Info | Tags: , , , , |
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IN MY LAST REPORT I mentioned that local church leaders had been notified of the closure of Living Oasis Harrow by email. This is that message, now also posted on facebook:

We’re Closing

Dear Friends

It is with heartfelt regret that I need to inform you that the Harrow branch of Living Oasis is closing. Our last trading day will be Saturday 2nd April. Please find attached a poster to display on your Church noticeboard.

We believe that the Lord had a purpose and a vision for the shop and we have tried to take this forward but, unfortunately, the number of customers coming through the doors since the closure of Wesley Owen has halved and there is simply not enough trade for us to be able to continue.

I know of at least 13 Christian bookshops that have closed since the beginning of the year. The Harrow branch is the 8th Living Oasis shop to close. Please pray for the future of Christian bookshops and the ministry they provide and, also, for the staff here as we begin to seek the Lord for our futures and try to secure new jobs. Please also remember our loyal volunteers who have given their time and talents to support this work.

We are very thankful for the support you have given us during a difficult time.

Blessings

Pauline

Pauline Banks, Manager
Moira Hornik, Senior Sales Assistant

 

March 26, 2011

Living Oasis Crisis Continues: Farewell to Harrow and Southampton

Posted by Phil Groom under Christian Bookshops, News | Tags: , , , , , , , , , |
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ONLY TWO WEEKS after celebrating its first birthday, Living Oasis Harrow is closing down. The news emerged yesterday via facebook as staff and former staff posted status updates about becoming unemployed and expressing concern; local church leaders were notified by email. The branch ceases trading next weekend.

Living Oasis Locations as of 26 March 2011: only 12 stores will remain after next weekend

Living Oasis Locations as of 26 March 2011: only 12 stores will remain after next weekend

Living Oasis Southampton also appears to have closed down, having been quietly deleted from the official list of branches (screenshot opposite) which now shows only 13 stores, including Harrow, out of the original 20 (or 19, discounting Croydon)

No official public announcement appears to have been made about either branch by Nationwide Christian Trust, the company’s owners, and rather than respond to my enquiries, Andy Twilley has taken the interesting step of blocking me on facebook and has instructed staff not to speak to me and to restrict my access to their facebook pages. Comments I left on the Leeds and Liverpool pages requesting prayer for staff at the stores facing closure have been removed and I have been blocked from leaving further comments.

Please Pray…

Please continue to pray for the staff affected by this turmoil as those who remain face continuing uncertainty whilst those whose stores have been closed or are closing face unemployment.

Please also pray for Andy Twilley, Ray George and all others at Nationwide Christian Trust as they seek the best way forward for the organisation.

Finally, please pray for me as I seek wisdom and grace both for my reporting and in my response to the information restrictions currently imposed by Living Oasis.

Looking Back: Living Oasis Harrow's facebook photos - shop opening

Looking Back: Living Oasis Harrow's facebook photos - shop opening

 

March 13, 2011

Living Oasis Update: Harrow celebrates 1st birthday and Watford finds new premises

Posted by Phil Groom under Christian Bookshops, News | Tags: , , , , , , , , , |
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Living Oasis Christian Bookshop Birthday Party

Living Oasis Christian Bookshop Birthday Party

MORE CONGRATULATIONS are in order, first of all to Living Oasis, Harrow, who celebrated their first birthday on Saturday 12th March with authors, guest speakers from London School of Theology, live music and much more — all backed up with homemade, fair trade cupcakes and tea & coffee.

Sadly I couldn’t be there myself, but if you made it, please leave a comment to tell us how it went — even better if you can supply some photos!

If Living Oasis Harrow is your local Christian bookshop, please use them — because if you don’t then we’ll lose them, and there’s been far too much of that over the last month!

Living Oasis Watford find new premises

Living Oasis Watford find new premises

Next up, congratulations to Living Oasis, Watford, who have at last managed to find new premises to move into. It’s sad news for That Burger which closed down next to Presence on the High Street, but great news for Living Oasis and for Watford’s Christian community.

Describing the move for Christian Gateway Watford, Jill, who works at the shop, writes:

We are so grateful to God for keeping us when other shops have sadly had to close due to lack of support. We desperately need Watford Christians to support the new shop. Steve Cardell has made this move possible and we are incredibly grateful to him.

The shop will continue to trade from Queen’s Road until 15th April: keep an eye on Christian Gateway Watford for news of the opening ceremony at the new site.

Please continue to pray:

 

March 15, 2010

Living Oasis: Opening Day Photos on Facebook: Harrow, Inverness, Leeds and Liverpool

Posted by Phil Groom under Christian Bookshops, News | Tags: , , , , , , |
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CONGRATULATIONS to all concerned at the seven branches of Living Oasis which opened on Saturday 13th March — photographs galore on facebook from Harrow, Inverness, Leeds and Liverpool. Click through the screenshots to the albums:

Harrow — Photos by Pauline Banks:

Facebook - Pauline Banks's Photos - Living Oasis Harrow - Official Opening

Inverness — Photos by Fiona Thomson:

Leeds — Photos by Karen Spence:

Liverpool — Photos by Anna Bunn:

 

January 26, 2010

Living Oasis: A new and exciting vision for your local Christian Bookshop

Posted by Phil Groom under Christian Bookshops, News | Tags: , , , |
[13] Comments 

The following message was sent out yesterday to supporters and friends of Wesley Owen Harrow:

Dear Friends

‘Living Oasis’ – A new and exciting vision for your local Christian Bookshop:

I am delighted to be able to tell you that although Wesley Owen in Harrow will be closing very soon, a plan has been proposed to reopen under new ownership and with a new trading name as soon as possible and hopefully within the next few weeks.

Along with a number of other Wesley Owen stores, we have been approached by the Nationwide Christian Trust with a proposal to allow us to continue trading for the next few months and then to move forward to extend the work we do to support the Church. The proposals made are very exciting and very much in line with the vision we have held as the way forward for Christian bookshops.

The following is an extract taken from the brochure produced by the Nationwide Christian Trust and is presented for your consideration:

The vision is to provide a Church presence on the high street to connect with Christians and non Christians alike.

The mission objective is to provide resources for the Church as they seek to impact their local communities. Looking at the life of Jesus we see a man out in the market place engaging with people as they went about their daily routines. This is our vision for the ‘Living Oasis’ venues.

Christian bookshops have previously held a narrow focus resulting in reduced viability. We will be looking at each store seeking to create a place relevant to the surrounding area and working in that context. We will be working with the store manager and local Christians to explore ways to increase footfall and to use the store outside normal hours for imaginative projects and events. We will also be seeking to envision local people toward ways of thinking that move us from maintenance to mission with centres being used in a dynamic and strategic way for the work of the Kingdom. We will be seeking to draw local Churches on board to become stakeholders in these opportunities and become involved in a number of ways.

The proposals for our store include the following possibilities to run alongside the bookshop:

  • Coffee shop to be open to all – Christian and non Christian
  • Lounge area – to be used, for example, by Church youth groups
  • Children’s Play Area – a supervised and safe place for children whilst Mum/Dad relaxes or does some shopping in peace and quiet!
  • Meeting room for Church use
  • Prayer ministry facility

In order to make this succeed and become a centre that is relevant to the Church in our area, we need your input and support. The decision to go ahead will depend on the level of enthusiasm, interest and support you are willing to give! So, if you share our vision and sense the value of maintaining a Christian presence on the high street we would encourage you to get involved to ensure that we can take this vision forward. It will not happen without you!

To provide you with further information we invite our Church Leaders/Church Representatives/Youth Leaders etc to a lunchtime meeting at which refreshments will be provided. A representative from the Nationwide Christian Trust will give a presentation and there will be opportunity for questions to be asked and contributions to be made. Venue and date will be advised asap.

Thank you so much for your faithful prayers. Let’s not let this God given opportunity slip through our fingers.

Many thanks and blessings

Pauline

Pauline Banks: Manager
Dionysia Ayeni: Assistant Manager

Wesley Owen Books and Music
11 Masons Avenue
Harrow HA3 5AH
020 8861 3259

Interested parties are invited to contact the shop on the above number or to contact Pauline Banks directly.

A final plea from a friend of the shop:

If people could take this to their churches and church leaders and let everybody know, if we don’t get what the Nationwide Christian Trust deem to be a high enough level of interest then we will leave the high street possibly never to return again, the shop in Watford are looking for the same kind of support.

Thanks

 

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