Business · Companies · 3 hrs ago
Castres customers raise €37,000 to save their tea room
Customers in Castres, in southern France, saved their tea room after it was threatened with closure.
Le Champs du Sud has been a meeting place for local people for 15 years.
In one month, 60 donors raised €37,000, including contributions from local businesses.
The money helped convince banks to support the takeover, and former employee Amélie Poulain Roussel became the new manager.
The donors also formed a cooperative to support the business over time, showing how much the tea room matters to the community.
The cooperative now hopes to revive a local cinema that has been closed for three years.
Customers and local businesses raised €37,000 in one month to save a tea room in Castres, France.
The money helped persuade banks to support the business’s takeover.
Amélie Poulain Roussel, who already worked at the tea room, became its new manager.
The 60 donors also created a cooperative to support the business over time.
The cooperative hopes to help revive a cinema in Castres that has been closed for three years.
- Who
- Customers and local businesses raised the money. Amélie Poulain Roussel became the new manager.
- What
- They raised €37,000 to take over and save the tea room, Le Champs du Sud.
- When
- The fundraising took place over one month. Exact dates are not stated.
- Where
- Castres, in the Tarn department of France.
- Why
- Customers wanted to prevent the tea room from closing and preserve a place important to the community.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The tea room was threatened with closure.
Customers and local businesses raised €37,000.
The money helped convince banks to support the business’s takeover, and existing employee Amélie Poulain Roussel became its new manager.
Donors created a cooperative to support the business over time.
- Fundraising total
- €37,000
- Fundraising period
- One month
- Donors
- 60
- New manager
- Amélie Poulain Roussel
- Business
- Le Champs du Sud tea room, Castres
- Cooperative’s next goal
- Revive a cinema in Castres that has been closed for three years.
What people are saying
I am truly touched to the heart because today, for me, it is more than solidarity. It is really mutual support, almost like family, because we really are a family; we all know one another.
When we take part in this, it is not to expect anything in return. The idea is to build connections, to take part with other people in something that is extremely positive for the vitality of the town centre, and to be part of a collective.