New home for Falkirk's Seagull Trust bookshop and art gallery

The Seagull Trust has moved its premises from inside The Howgate Shopping Centre onto the High Street.

The charity’s bookshop and art gallery are now within the same shop unit, in what was the old Topshop at X High Street.

The doors opened a few weeks ago and the team of staff and volunteers are enjoying welcoming customers old and new as they come through the doors.

Marjory Sime, manager, said: “The new owners were intending to put the rental and it would not have been viable for us to stay in the Howgate.

"So we’re relocated both the gallery and bookshop.

"It’s looking super. We’ve got the books and the painting and arts and crafts all in the same unit.”But it’s not just a chance to browse the books and artwork that the charity is now offering. They have opened a small cafe space within the store.

Marjory added: "There was an opportunity to create a cafe space in the shop so we are now offering coffee and cake, soup and sandwiches and we’ve got a corner that’s got cards and a couple of games in it for people to come in and sit and relax.

"We’re trying to create a welcoming space for people to enjoy the bookshop.”

The Seagull Trust provide free barge trips for the elderly and people with special needs.

The bookshop has played a vital role in fundraising for the Seagull Trust in recent years, particularly when the charity was unable to run its boat trips due to the pandemic restrictions.

When the shop was closed during Covid, an online bookshop was established to keep the fundraising going and to ensure book lovers could still get their reading material.

Looking ahead, the charity has more fundraising ideas happening over the coming weeks.

Marjory said: “We’ve stopped sailing for the summer season, but it was a pretty good season for us.

"The bookshop supports the work we do throughout the year. It was the key fundraiser during Covid as we couldn’t get donations from people sailing. It became quite vital to us for fundraising.

We’re trying to save up enough to buy an electric boat.

"Coming into December we’ll be doing the Santa Cruises on the boats. We’ll also be having story telling sessions with Mrs Claus in the bookshop too.”

To find out more about the Seagull Trust visit seagulltrust.org.uk