The Sussex Newspaper - Great news for a great county!

The Sussex Newspaper is told a new charity fundraising bookshop has been opened in Portslade by two groups of local Lions working together to help the community.
Based in the coffee shop of a busy garden centre, the outlet takes customers’ second hand book donations, and sells them on for one pound, with every penny going to the charities of Hove and Adur East Lions Clubs.

Mayberry Garden Centre started the appeal for second hand books earlier in the year, and now have shelf space for around 500 novels and other titles, all available to browse and purchase whilst the coffee shop patrons enjoy a cake and coffee.

"We've had a wonderful response", says Jonathan Tate who's managing  director of the family-run Sussex garden centre chain. "The shelves are bulging and, in our first morning, we sold over 50 books thanks to the generosity of customers."

Also collecting mobile phones, hearing aids and glasses, the bookshop and donation centre is another aspect of the Tates of Sussex centre’s relationship with two local Lions Clubs, as Manager Mark Brumfitt explained: “We work closely with both the Hove and the Adur East Lions, and have had great success with our Santa’s grotto, tombolas and raffles. We are delighted to open this bookshop and hope that many of our customers will take advantage of some of the titles on offer, grab themselves a good read and raise some money for local charities too.”

Sam Marshall, President of the Hove Lions said, “When Mayberry offered us the chance to have our bookshop in their coffee shop we were so pleased as it continues our relationship with them whilst setting up an initiative we have has success with previously.”

Gillian Anderson, of Adur East Lions added “If you have any unwanted books please bring them down to Mayberry- the bookshop’s success relies on public donations.”
The bookshop can be found at Mayberry Garden Centre’s Spiky Lettuce Coffee Shop on Portslade’s Old Shoreham Road.