We now officially love Gunner Cooke Law Firm as not only do they want to open a chain of bookshops they want them to be community centres as well.. wow !
The UK Law Gazette reports
Law firms doing positive work in the community through a charity foundation is now commonplace, but Obiter reckons none have yet proposed opening their own chain of bookshops.
The gunnercooke foundation, a charity arm of the national firm, will open its first House of Friends & Books in Manchester in November and aims to grow at a rate of three to four shops a year. The firm will provide the funding in the first few years, with the aim that the project can be sustainable after that.
The intention is for the bookshops to act as a community hub, connecting older people with friends, providing a place for new parents to meet and offer a learning environment for schools.
The foundation is searching for a bookseller to bring expertise to the project and the shops will sell a mixture of new titles and second-hand stock.
Darryl Cooke, chairman of the gunnercooke foundation, said: ‘Bookshops are the centre of communities and can provide a much-needed service that improves people’s lives, focussing on all the challenges that exist. Reading can connect us physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. When we read we are not alone.
‘Our bookshops will not only sell books but offer a space to create activities that will bond communities, from reading clubs to walking groups to wine societies.’
Obiter wishes them well.
See job ad in the Bookseller
Location: Manchester
Hours: Full Time (minimum 4 days per week) includes some weekend working
Salary: Competitive (depending on experience)
Company Profile
gunnercooke is a full-services commercial law firm and a key part of its vision is to ‘create a better world than we found’.
The gunnercooke foundation was born of the firm’s founders’ passionate belief that businesses have all of the tools and resources to help solve the world’s problems.
Of some 165,000 charities in the UK, a mere 1% accounted for 71% of all charitable income. Smaller charities, whilst doing extremely valuable work in their community, are the least able to access these funds and grow their organisations.
The gunnercooke foundation launched the inspire* project to connect the business world with the not-for-profit world for the benefit of all involved. The aim is to help smaller ambitious charities to think like businesses so they can “do good faster”.
Since the launch of the inspire* project, further projects have followed to tackle key societal issues. The latest is The House of Friends and Books where we intend to build a community around our bookshops and create activities that will bring together formerly isolated members of that community, a community solution to the growing challenge of loneliness and social isolation.
The House of Friends and Books is a book shop like no other.
As the last 12 months have shown more than ever, loneliness can affect anyone of any age. People can become lonely for many reasons, the loss of a close one, moving to a new area, a change in circumstances or even simply a loss of confidence. We believe that bookshops can provide a powerful tool for combatting loneliness in society. Reading can connect us physically, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. When we read, we are not alone.
We want to harness this sentiment to forge lasting community connections around every House of Book and Friends bookshop.
Purpose of the Role
Our mission is to ensure that every customer in one of our book shops leaves feeling better connected with their community. For every shop we launch, we will be focusing heavily on engaging the square mile surrounding it, using the sale of books to:
- Support corporates on engaging and developing their teams
- Connect older people with each other and their community
- Provide a place for new mums to meet, engage and re-connect
- Develop lots of initiatives for our customers to donate a book to a person in need
- Work with schools and education facilities to provide a learning environment
- Work with charities who support ostracised groups, to look at ways which they can reconnect through reading
Responsibilities
As a Bookseller, you’ll offer the highest possible level of customer service. This includes ordering most in-print titles the next day or tracking down a customer’s favourite book that they don’t remember the name of.
It’s also about running a shop that feels like it’s yours as well as ours. It’s about instinctively knowing what books customers will enjoy. It’s about offering a memorable experience to everyone who comes to the bookshop and helping to spread the joy.
Personal Specification
To be successful in the role you will be a ‘people person’. You will have a flair for customer service and a keenness to be part of a team that aims to offer outstanding customer care every single day, which will contribute to creating an enticing and vibrant environment.
You will also have:
- A passion and knowledge of books and the ability to talk about books naturally, with enthusiasm, to our customers.
- A desire to continue to widen your book-knowledge across a broad range of genres.
- A genuine interest in high-street retail and in pursuing bookselling as a career in a new exciting bookshop.
- A love of new challenges in a climate of fresh ideas and innovation with hectic days full of rewarding hard work.
To apply please email the following to [email protected]:
- An up to date CV
- A covering letter detailing why you think you would be a great fit for The House of Friends and Books
- A review (no more than 100 words) of a book you have read recently.
For more information about The gunnercooke Foundation, please visit www.thegunnercookefoundation.com
