Wayside op shop on the move
The coming rebuild of the Wayside Chapel building in Potts Point means its highly regarded op-shop has been searching for a temporary home. But, despite a plethora of new commercial space in the area, most local landlords were not interested.
However a last-minute reprieve seems in the offing, with negotiations well advanced on two small shopfronts in nearby Llankelly Place. It is understood the well-used donations bin will remain outside the Wayside in Hughes Street, as the new site would have no car access.
The shop earns the bread-and-butter income of the charity – around $300,000 for the year.
Shop manager Gabe Bilicka says it is Sydney’s funkiest op-shop because it has the funkiest donors, both because of its location in a district of flamboyant dressers and because of a long line of celebrity supporters, many of whom had been married in the chapel.
Ms Bilicka recently was honoured by Kings Cross Rotary in their annual Pride of Workmanship awards. Other recipients this year included Kings Cross Police Commander Tony Crandell and St Vincents Hospital media darling Dr Gordian Fulde.
KX Rotary also came to the rescue with a fund-raiser this week at the Wentworth Gallery in Bligh Street which aimed to raise $3,000 to replace the laptop computer of Wayside Pastor Graham Long, which was stolen by a visitor to the Chapel.
Pastor Long also acknowledged a $7,700 donation from StreetSmart, a charity which enrols restaurants to add one dollar to the price of each meal and uses it to support homeless people. The money will go towards the Wayside’s Living Skills program.
“This programme has proven success in not just equipping people with the basic skills of bill paying, laundry, cooking, shopping and the like, but it also plays a most useful role in helping people when they apply for public housing,” said Pastor Long.
by Michael Gormly
