By John Baron
A much-loved community cafe and a charity shop at Bramley Shopping Centre have both closed today.
Both the Bramley Community Cafe and Bramley Community Shop were run by the Upbeat Community Interest Company (CIC), which was set up in 2006 to earn money to support the work of Bramley Elderly Action.
Over the past 20 years, Upbeat CIC has tried to make money to support the charity, including the sale of aids and adaptations, a gardening project and for the last 15 years an independent community shop selling second-hand goods.
In February 2025, Upbeat CIC took on the lease of a former café on Bramley Shopping Centre, to open a friendly, affordable community café where people could learn about all the good stuff going on in Bramley.
Cutting the ribbon at Bramley Community Cafe in September. Photo: Keef Williamson
An Upbeat spokesperson said the company had to make a ‘heartbreaking’ commercial decision to close both the shop and the café.
WLD understands the CIC is about to go into liquidation.
They said: “The cafe and the shop have both been socially successful. However, both the community café and the community shop have been losing money.”
It’s understood the closures have no financial impact on Bramley Elderly Action, which is a separate legal entity, financially sustainable and operationally thriving.
Bramley Community Shop
“We’d like to thank staff and volunteers,” the Upbeat spokesperson added. “The closures are despite all their skilful and hard work.
“These are very difficult time in which to trade. We would also like to thank our customers and supporters. Apologies, we gave it our best shot.”
Bramley Community Café launched a £12,000 crowdfunding appeal in October to support the sustainability of the café after its original opening date was delayed by three and a half months. The delays caused ‘serious financial challenges’. The crowdfunding target was reached in late December.
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