Much-loved huddersfield shop 'fighting tooth and nail' after 'tough years'

The owner of a Huddersfield town centre shop has launched an online appeal to help clear rising debts and keep the business going. Gareth Hughes has been running pop culture shop Diversions

for around 13 years but is now under pressure from his landlord to clear rent arrears on the premises in Imperial Arcade. The shop's struggles emerged as another shop owner, Stephen

Mallalieu, announced plans to close his card store in the same arcade blaming a lack of customers. Gareth needs to raise around £3,500 to help reduce the arrears and says he has a

'fighting chance' of staying open if he hits that target. So far, the Go Fund Me appeal has raised just over £600 from 21 donations. He told _Yorkshire Live_: "Our rent

arrears problems have been a combination of tougher retail times in the town centre combined with debts caused by HMRC repayments for the Covid years along with bounce back loan repayments.

"I'll fight tooth and nail to keep this much-loved shop open. I’ve even brought in mine and my wife’s collections to help the store raise funds and hopefully with the Go Fund Me

campaign, clear some of the rent arrears and get back on an even keel for years to come. This isn’t just a shop for me and many of our followers it’s a community of friends that happen to be

customers as well." Asked about the shop's current level of trading, Gareth said: "The shop has been steady recently and customers are responding to the appeal with purchases

from the shop, offers of donations and donations from their own houses for stock for the shop to help us." He added: "We have some wonderful customers I consider friends and a

little community of fandoms and I know they will do all they can not to lose the place." Gareth said the Go Fund Me money will go towards paying off some of the rent arrears. "That

money will go towards bringing the arrears balance down and making weekly payments going forward; it won’t clear it but will give me a fighting chance and even more determination to be here

for many years to come." The Go Fund Me appeal can be found here. In a post on the appeal, Gareth wrote: "I know if I can clear some of the arrears I can afford to continue

trading and see out my last few years of my lease but the arrears are seriously affecting my health, my family and my future and the amount they are wanting per week is going to be very

tough unless I can raise some funds to clear at least some of them." He added: "The catch 22 is if I just walk away I will still have the debts and no chance of clearing them but

if the Go Fund Me is successful I can turn this place around and not get into this trouble again. "If you want to help this little family independent business win this battle I will do

all I can to thank you and keep this community alive." In 2014, supporters of the Diversions shop donated more than £2,000 to save it from closure due to falling trade after Gareth

launched a Kickstarter fund. _GET ALL THE LATEST WHAT’S ON NEWS STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX BY __SIGNING UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER HERE._