Two of Argyll’s most cherished charity shops are to close in September.
Mary’s Meals shop on Stevenson Street in Oban and on Lochgilphead’s Argyll Street will close due to rising costs and reduced income from the premises.
The shops in Oban and Lochgilphead will be among the six shops in Scotland to be closed by the charity.
Mary’s Meals offers education and food in some of the world’s poorest countries to 2.4 million children.
Daniel Adams, executive director of Mary’s Meals, said: “After much deep consideration, we have taken the very difficult decision to close our six charity shops in Scotland – including our shops in Oban and Lochgilphead.
“In recent years, there has been a steady decline of income from our shops – while the cost of operating them has continued to increase. This means that sadly the shops are no longer a viable source of income for our charity.
Rising costs creating difficulty for charity shops
“This has been a difficult decision because we recognise, and are so grateful for, the dedication of our staff and volunteers, including those in Oban and Lochgilphead, to growing Mary’s Meals within their local communities.”
In Oban the charity shop has been a feature of the high street for more than a decade. It will close only months after the British Heart Foundation closed its doors.
He continued: “Every day, more than 2.4 million children eat Mary’s Meals at school.
“We are always guided by good stewardship and ensuring that we can continue to feed these little ones – we hope local people will continue to support us in any way to feed desperately hungry children in the world’s poorest countries.
“At a time when we are responding to the devastating earthquake in Syria, their generosity has never been more needed.
“Our expectation is that the shops will stay open until the end of September, and we will keep the communities around our shops updated as our plans progress.”
One volunteer, who did not want to be named, said: “We just can not take it in, many of the volunteers have been here for many years.
“We will just need to roll up our sleeves and think of other ways to raise money for this incredible charity.”
Conversation