More than £4,000 has been pledged to the Buy Back Keswick, Brick By Brick campaign’s crowdfunding page, within hours of its long-awaited launch this week.
And among those contributing to the £750,000 target are tourists who regularly use buildings in the town which have been converted into holiday lets.
The campaign started earlier this month when four first-floor flats in a building on St John’s Street were put on the market by the building’s owner.
Café owner Chinty Turnbull, who leases space on the ground floor, announced she was hoping to raise enough money to buy the building to prevent it being snapped up for yet more tourist accommodation.
Within days she had received promises of over £65,000 – but the creation of a JustGiving page now makes the donations official.
“I’ve been absolutely blown away by the response, to the extent that I haven’t had time to get the crowdfunding page sorted out,” Chinty said. “Now it’s finally done – and once again people have been so supportive.
“It’s obviously touched a nerve. One person, who wanted to remain anonymous, said they regularly rent Airbnb accommodation in Keswick, but wanted to donate £20 ‘just to make up for it’.”
Meanwhile the fundraising effort will be further boosted by an online raffle to win VIP tickets to one of next season’s most anticipated Premier League matches.
The package, to see Liverpool versus Manchester City, includes a three-course lunch and is worth £1,000. It comes courtesy of a couple who regularly visit Chinty’s café.
“It’s a wonderful gesture, because it’s notoriously difficult to get tickets for Anfield – especially for a game like this,” Chinty said.
Tickets cost £5, and the raffle closes on Friday, June 24.
To donate to the Buy Back Keswick, Brick by Brick campaign, click here.
