UPDATE:

Yesterday we received our £10k grant from the government via York Council.

We’ve also spent the last two weeks renegotiating with all our suppliers, deferring whatever possible and working out other efficiencies we can make in utilities etc, as well as what the expected government help with our staff wages will be.

As a result, we are reducing the amount we are crowdfunding to £15k. This represents the difference in grant money we would have got with a more accurate rateable value that most other pubs will be getting (25k as oppose to 10k), and will cover our liabilities for the next couple of months. There are a lot of peculiarities within rateable values system that means some businesses get more or less than others: some venues won’t benefit at all.

Anything over this amount will be donated to MVT’s central #saveourvenues campaign, which aims to stop any venues shutting down as an immediate result of COVID-19.

This will not cover the expected costs from re-opening, like the deferred bills and restocking. It reflects the amount we need to open our doors again at the end of June. We'll be needing all your support once we do reopen as well.

But it does mean we are already halfway to achieving the new target! We want to say a massive thank you to everyone who's donated so far. We know that everyone is hard hit by this crisis, and there are plenty of worthy causes out there to donate to. We promise we'll throw some massive parties for you as soon as we are able to!

We’re also working with Nigel Rogers on some t shirt designs we will be sharing shortly, as well as hopefully some artist streams for you to enjoy!

Dear all

Following the most recent statement from the Government advising the public to avoid pubs and social gatherings, we are shutting The Crescent, including the Front Bar, for the time being. All shows and events for the next two weeks have been cancelled or moved (please check website or facebook events for further details). We will be reviewing the situation for other shows over the next couple of months.

All tickets will remain valid for rescheduled dates. Tickets can be refunded, but we would ask you to consider supporting the venue and artists by not refunding them if you are able to afford to.

This is not a decision we take lightly. As a music venue, community focal point and pub, our income is entirely dependant on bar sales. However, as responsible citizens, we need to do our part in avoiding the virus spreading further.

We are fundraising to help keep us afloat during this period with zero income. We have significant overheads to pay: Mortgage, utilities, VAT, staffing, fees for cancelled shows, loans... these add up to approximately £3,500 a week. We may be shut for up to 12 weeks. We also hope to do some essential maintenance work during this down time.

As of yet there is absolutely no word on what support will be available to our sector, and insurers are refusing to cover anything related to COVID-19. The general feeling in the industry is that the Government have not made closure compulsory and that we therefore are unlikely to be able to claim anything.

This is going to be a trying time for us, the arts industry, the nation and the world.

Stay safe all

The Crescent

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