Help the Rural Child bookshop has been a feature of Mowbray for 25 years.
It's the end of an era for the Help the Rural Child bookshop, which closes tomorrow, Friday July 28.
The shop in Upper Durban Road has been a feature of Mowbray for the past 25 years, its earnings supporting the Goedgedacht Trust, which helps children living in poverty in rural areas.
A lack of parking, heavy traffic in the area and the lingering impact of the pandemic have all helped to write the final chapter for the bookshop, according to Nicky Antonie, the director of the Help the Rural Child.
“Twenty-five years, however, has been a very good innings, and we are forever grateful to the hundreds of donors and customers that have crossed the bookshop threshold,” she said. “We made the decision around three months ago to close.”
They had considered seeking new premises but had decided to close after not finding anything suitable, she said.
The bookshop opened in 1998 under the auspices of Catholic Welfare and Development. Then, in 2006, when Help the Rural Child was formed, the bookshop adopted that name.
The non-profit went on to open several other charity shops in Kirstenhof, the City Bowl, Sea Point, Retreat and Claremont.
Ms Antonie said the books would be packed up and transferred to the Kirstenhof bookshop.
“We would once again like to thank our customers and donors for their support, our wonderful band of volunteers who have graciously and willingly assisted in keeping the shop in such good condition and, most of all, our staff who have worked like Trojans to keep the shop ticking over,” she said.
Visit www.ruralchild.org.za or call 021 685 2810 for more information about Help the Rural child.