June 2005 - Evangelicals Now - Christian Newspaper

‘This Spring saw the launch of a major new retail experience in London’s West End.’ Not quite the way the Evening Standard might have chosen to report the event, but certainly the way it felt to those involved in the opening of Fair Share, a fair trade shop in the heart of Soho.

It wasn’t the most auspicious opening on Tuesday March 1. For one thing, half the stock had yet to arrive. For another, the shop front looked a bit anonymous, as the sign over the shop — bold, red lettering, giving it a real identity — didn’t go up until two days later. But there was a mixture of joy and relief that after months of planning and preparation at last we were open for business.

Remarkable opportunity

Fair Share is run by Immanuel Community Church, Soho (ICC). It is located in what used to be a butcher’s shop on Berwick Street Market, and provides the church with a remarkable opportunity to develop its local witness.

A bit of history explains how valuable this could be. The church came into being in 1987 through the church planting work of the London Inreach Project, led by Michael Toogood. Slow but steady growth took place for a number of years, but very little came through local conversions. Since 1997, numbers have shrunk right back as Christians have moved on for very natural reasons, and the tiny church now meets with its sister church in Covent Garden.

Despite this, ICC still has a strong reputation in Soho, established through many years of service in the local community — and never before have we had premises which give us a 24/7 presence at street level.

Challenge to be faced

The offer of the shop came out of the blue in a phone call from a local council officer. It is due to be demolished in a year or so if Westminster Council gets approval of plans for a major redevelopment of the area. Meanwhile, the council wanted the shop to be actively occupied rather than vacant as it had been for several months, and was willing to make it available rent-free ‘for the sale of fair trade goods and other associated activities of the church’.

Initial excitement at this offer was soon tempered by the growing realisation of the challenge we faced. The aim was to create an attractive and successful shop which could be used, outside trading hours, for various other activities aimed primarily at the local community.

It took a lot of hard work and a great deal of help to make this happen, but the Lord provided all that was needed, although his timing was somewhat different from ours!

The impact of Fair Share began before it opened, as passers by saw the empty butcher’s shop being slowly transformed. A good clean, spray paint on the tiles, some rewiring, new doors, a carpet and the various shop fittings eventually combined to make the place unrecognisable.

Christian concern

The early response has been favourable. Representatives from community organisations, invited to a reception to mark the opening of the shop, were particularly impressed and we were able to explain to them how it expresses our Christian concern for the needs of this life, helping the world’s poor through fair trade, as well as the life to come through the gospel message we share.

Now manager Linda Burbridge and her team of volunteers are slowly building the business and developing relationships with customers. Fair Share sells a range of handmade gifts and cards from suppliers such as Tearcraft and Traidcraft, as well as a selection of foodstuffs, including coffee and tea. Our customers have included neighbours, office workers and tourists, as well as a prostitute’s maid from across the street and a girl who wanted something to bring her good luck because ‘business in the clipjoints is very bad’!

Alongside the business, we intend to use the shop to develop links with local people who need to hear the good news about Jesus. It is ideal for small groups. We are using it for community activities but our priority is to make opportunities to challenge local people with the gospel. Before Easter we showed an evangelistic video, ‘So, who is this Jesus?’, and a Christianity Explored group got underway during May.

Thinking about it

Some reflections on our experience might be useful. First, it is tremendous when we know that God continues to have his purposes for us. Humanly speaking, this opportunity had its origin in a casual conversation at a residents association committee meeting, but above and beyond this it is clear that God himself was at work. What an encouragement to persevere. Despite all our failings, our weakness and our lack of success, somehow God is still with us!

Secondly, it is a reminder of the value of involvement in the every day life of a community. This can be hard work, and there is sometimes the temptation to withdraw from it in favour of ‘pure’ gospel work. The study can be much more attractive than the street! But Fair Share has come about directly through our commitment to the practical approach that Michael Toogood established — without it, we would never have had any contact with Westminster Council, let alone been trusted with the shop.

Thirdly, we recognise the danger that we might fail to use this gospel opportunity effectively. It is one thing to get the trading side of Fair Share up and running, quite another to confront people with the claims of Christ. It would be easy to get too caught up in the more mundane side of the shop, so we must make sure we are focussed on its spiritual impact.

Finally, it is significant that perhaps we have never been under such strain in our work. A number of other demands have coincided with this opportunity. In addition, being in the shop has exposed us more than ever to the miserable reality of life on the streets of Soho, which is spiritually draining. Did our broken shop window result from hostility to Christianity, or just from antisocial behaviour fuelled by drink or drugs? Whatever the answer, as we see the needs of the human beings around us more clearly than ever before, so we see more clearly too the gracious provision for those needs in Christ. Pray that we will proclaim him fearlessly as we should.

Fair Share is at 102 Berwick Street, London W1F OQP. For further information, please contact Andrew Murray at ajmurray@supanet.com or on 020 7287 0507.

A shop front in Soho

Fair Share on Berwick Street, London

Remarkable opportunity

Challenge to be faced

Christian concern

Thinking about it

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