In October 2022 The Jam Jar was forced to close for 3 weeks. This was due to a fire in the adjoining building that cut off our power supply, including our fire alarms & emergency lighting. It was a relief that no one was hurt & property damage was minor, but as a seasonal venue, these 3 weeks, over the Halloween period (our busiest) represent almost 1/4 of our yearly turnover!

We have learned that after 18 months of negotiations, the final settlement will pale in comparison to the loss incurred.

We have been fighting this with specialist advice, and have explored all options here. The result is truly devastating.

To survive until now we have had to take out some substantial loans. Sadly due to the current economic climate, our interest payments have been staggeringly high. We have paid tens of thousands in interest in the last year & a huge percentage of our revenue has gone straight to finance companies. All of the above pressures combined have made things very difficult for the Jam Jar this year.

There are some positives:

We would like to give a massive thanks to all of our local suppliers who have really supported us in these times, from offering discounts to extending credit periods.

Without them, we would not still be here. We know that big suppliers would have steered clear from us in these situations, but our strict local supplier’s policy really saved us here. Long live localism!

Despite struggling with huge interest payments, & a tough cashflow situation we have managed to put together a sensational music program. We couldn’t have done this without our amazing team, plus all the incredible musicians, & dedicated fans!

Now, after what has been a very tough 18 months, we are reaching out to the wider community with a frank & honest assessment of our position. We need your help to keep going now.