Christian bookshop closes doors after 27 years

Buy photos » Anne McCulloch - manager of the Jubilate Christian Resource. Picture by Jon Mullis 05.013.020.strat.jm2 (www.buyphotos247.com)

A CHRISTIAN bookshop in Stratford is closing its doors after nearly three decade serving people's spiritual needs.

With more people shopping online, reading books electronically and fewer people sending cards partly related to increased postal charges, Jubilate Christian Bookshop has found itself up against an ever more challenging trading environment.

The Ely Street bookshop began life in 1986 in the Antiques Centre and then moved to shop premises a stone's throw along the same street.

Last June the shop, which provides a range of Bibles and prayer books, CDs and DVDs, greetings cards and stamps as well as gifts for special occasions, announced its decision to exercise the break clause in their lease allowing them to continue trading until the beginning of December.

But landlords agreed that Jubilate could continue trading over the Christmas period until the end of February.

And now after 27 years the decision has been taken to close the shop at the end of March.

Don Foster, chairman of the trustees, said: “The vision was for the shop to be an outreach and a Christian presence in Stratford.

“That vision has been sustained in Stratford in various forms for almost thirty years and during that time, many lives have been touched and many more will have been blessed in ways we may never know.

“I am sure in due course an effective Christian witness can be established and sustained in the centre of the town in a form which serves best the needs of the community into the future.

“It is with great sadness we have concluded Jubilate must cease to trade but all of the trustees, managers and team of volunteers wish to reiterate our thanks to for everyone's support over the years.”

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