THE future of a popular Tavistock charity with over 200 members is hanging in the balance, unless a solution is found to cover its financial shortfall.

Tavistock Scrapstore, now known as the new Creation Station at TSS, based at Tavistock Library, has been suffering a deficit of £20 each week which has been building up over its first year.

The community charity, which is still in its infancy, holds crafting workshops and provides materials for crafting at low cost to individuals, community groups and schools.

But over the year, the group has been struggling to meet the cost of renting premises within the library, which is now run by Libraries Unlimited, a community owned social enterprise, established in April 2016 with the support of Devon County Council, which also has charitable status.

Trustee and treasurer Ursula Mann said: ‘We are struggling financially in our first year at the library, our first year of paying rent, and we’re open to getting the word out as we have a very dedicated group of volunteers and trustees who want to make it work. As treasurer I know that our time is limited if we don’t raise the necessary funds. We‘ve just had a £100 donation from Fairway Furniture which will help us through the summer and it would be a shame to lose such a well-supported group for just £20 a week.’ 

Ursula said that although it was great to be helping the library, another charity, the trustees and members of the Creation Station said they will wait until the end of July to see whether they can continue to pay rent and survive at the library.

‘We pay £100 a week, but the library has agreed to let the scrapstore have the space for £75 a week for a period, which is amazing, but if at the end of July we have not got enough income to cover August and September then we will have to look at the future of the scrapstore.

‘The group was started by five women who love crafting and the store is great for people who love crafting too — it is a much loved service.’

The registered charity aims to help artists, local community groups, children, people with disabilities, schools and more, and aims to advance arts and crafts by facilitating the use and provision of recycled, scrap or surplus materials as a creative resource to individuals, both adults and children, with the aim of improving their social welfare, mental health and well-being and inspiring creativity for the public and for the benefit of the environment.

The group aims to protect and preserve the environment for the public benefit by promoting recycling, using recycled products and scrap and advancing the education of the public about waste recycling and the use of surplus and scrap.

Ursula added: ‘Our 200 plus members have found the store an inspirational place to cultivate their creative skills and we would all be very sad to lose such a valuable resource as new members are just now discovering its potential.’

Members are reminded that they can support the store by attending one of the many crafting workshops that are scheduled throughout the summer where they can craft in relative comfort with air-conditioning and tea on offer. Check the group’s Facebook page for listings of upcoming workshops.

Anyone wishing to make an individual donation may visit www.tavistockscrapstore.org/membership-and-donations