'Outpouring of support' to save hub from closure

There has been an "outpouring of support" to keep a community café and refill shop open - two years after it was saved.

Roots Gloucester in Kingsholm announced on 29 January it will shut on 28 February due to a "major increase in bills", which has put the Alvin Street venue in debt.

On Friday, residents and regulars are invited to Roots to discuss its future, ideas on how to save it, and what they would like to see going forward.

Seán Hart from Roots said they have received an outpouring of support since the closure announcement.

Roots was able to keep its refill shop open when its café closed in early 2024 after "an unprecedented year of challenges".

The latter was reopened following a community rescue mission a few months later.

Hart said the current threat of closure is mainly down to a rise in energy bills and drop in customers over the winter.

Roots offers a fridge stocked with leftover supermarket food which residents can take for free.

They also have a kindness board which allows customers to pay ahead for others to eat and drink.

Upstairs, there is a community space where support groups and open mic events, run by Hart, are held.

"All of them have just really helped to tap into all the different community areas that are missing from the Kingsholm and general Gloucester areas," Hart said.

Following the announcement, Hart said another crowdfunder, which helped save Roots in 2024, is "in the ideas pile" to be discussed at Friday's meeting.

"We want to hear what the community thinks and see what they would like to do with Roots," Hart said of the meeting.

"We've really impacted the community here, we've really helped people... it's a shame that we potentially can't continue that.

"It's nice to see that community is coming together and wanting to help Roots."

The meeting starts at 19:00 GMT.

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