It is with a heavy heart that following the most recent Government ‘stay at home’ order, we have decided to close our doors to the public once again with immediate effect. We do this in the hope and knowledge that there are better times to come in the not-too-distant future.
We have taken this decision to protect visitors, tenants, and our staff. We want to ensure that every effort is made to contain the new virulent strains of the virus, ease the pressures on a strained NHS and allow the new vaccines to be rolled out as quickly as possible. We hope that by playing our role in this at this moment in time, we are not putting people unnecessarily at risk.
In line with Government guidance, there will be some limited activity from our tenants and partners where this is safe and permitted. As an essential retailer, Just Gaia will be accepting online orders and will be fulfilling these through delivery and collection. For more information on shopping from Just Gaia, please visit their website. You can also buy and support our wonderful community of retailers online at www.thepiecehall.co.uk/shop and some of our studio-based businesses will operate but not engage in customer-facing activities at The Piece Hall.
We will be using this quiet period to undertake a comprehensive and thorough deep clean of the entire site, so that when we’re ready to open our doors once again we can welcome visitors back to a safe environment. We will continue to review our operating position throughout the lockdown in line with Government restrictions and in consultation with public health officials, and let you know when things may change.
At this time, small traders, independents and retailers at large are facing tough economic challenges and uncertainty. We have been liaising closely with our hard-working tenants from the moment that lockdown was announced, as we have been doing throughout the pandemic. We are continuing to support them as much as we can, and welcome the additional financial measures put in place by the Government to support small businesses.
The Piece Hall has a large and engaged following and is blessed with many loyal advocates and regular visitors. During this time, many have been asking how they can best support the venue and our amazing traders. There are three things which I would ask you to consider:
Please shop local – many of our traders are continuing to trade online. Details of how you can buy from them can be found via The Piece Hall website here, so please do browse and support if you can. Please also remember the other local businesses in our Borough who will need your help.
Become a member – there are some great membership benefits to be had, from exclusive offers to priority booking for top events, and every membership directly benefits the work we do to keep The Piece Hall open and free to enter for all. Click here to find out more.
Donate – as a charitable trust, we welcome donations, however small or large, which can make a real difference to keep this incredible building open and free to enter. Click here to make a donation.
It goes without saying that we do not take the decision to close our doors lightly, but we do recognise the important role that we must play in helping to defeat this virus. We have worked closely with all partners, including Calderdale Council, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, DCMS, Historic England, Welcome to Yorkshire and many others to understand how we can continue to support recovery efforts.
It is our firm belief that culture, trade and heritage will be more important than ever as we emerge from these current restrictions. In the meantime, we would like to wish you well and hope that you and your loved ones remain safe. We are all really looking forward to welcoming you back to your Piece Hall as soon as it is safe to do so.
***Nicky Chance-Thompson DL, Chief Executive of The Piece Hall Trust
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