Support Fashion Enter's Bournemouth Boutique

Fashion Enter Ltd is a non-for-profit organisation which is trying to help emerging /fashion designers/textile designers/students/unemployed people as well as working with primary and secondary schools in the South West Bournemouth area.

We were kindly offered a boutique space at the Royal Arcade in Boscombe by the owner who saw the good in what we were trying to achieve. The problem arose when Bournemouth Council refused to offer us Discretionary Rate Relief on the units and have said that we need to pay £14k per annum. As a non-for-profit organisation we should not have been asked to pay this and now we have a running dispute with the Council. All we want to do is help students by providing a platform for them to showcase their designs.

We have been granted DRR with our other boutiques - one in Croydon and one in Barking so why should there be any difference with Bournemouth?

The proposed boutique was to house designers/students clothing, whilst the other half of the shop was to act as a workshop and help up skill unemployed people and get them back into work through our initiatives. The local press (The Echo), National press (Drapers Record) have picked up on this story as well. It is a huge shame that Bournemouth Council do not recognise what we are trying to do here. They see us as a National company as we have other boutiques in London however, that is not a valid reason to dismiss our company that is trying to help people.

We have contacted the MP of Boscombe who is on our side and trying to sort this matter out, however we need people to get behind us and show the Council that this is something that should not have been overlooked.

I need to present to the Council as many signatures as possible please stand with us here and show your support. For further information on this matter please visit www.fashioncapital.co.uk then go to Services and click on the scroll down menu - South West Office. All information is in there.