A café in St Helier that supports abuse survivors has warned it could struggle to keep operating if it is unable to open its al-fresco area.
An online fundraising page has been set up by a customer to raise £6,800 for the Butterfly Café, so it can pay the parish fee for opening its al-fresco area from April to September.
Alfresco Licences, or ‘Pèrmîns des Choses Publyiques’, vary in cost depending on the size of the space being used, and also need to be renewed each year.
The café has said its al-fresco area is “absolutely vital” to its survival through the summer, but as a non-profit it does not have the funds “readily available” to pay the fee – noting that “the cost has increased significantly compared to last year”.
Speaking to Express, Butterfly Café founder Cheyenne O’Connor said the parish had not approved their request for a reduced rate.
She added that the parish had argued there were similar businesses in the area paying the al-fresco fee, and suggested the café consider waiting until its financial situation had improved before operating the space.
But a parish spokesperson said Ms O’Connor’s request was “currently being considered under the ‘parish hardship policy'” and that it would be “inappropriate for us to comment whilst this is ongoing”.
Ms O’Connor explained that, if the café found itself in a position where it was unable to open the outside area it risked being “dead before mid-summer”.
“We’re busy most days but there’s only a certain amount of seating inside,” she said.
Ms O’Connor also noted political efforts both at government and parish level to increase footfall in town in recent years, including through more al-fresco space.
She pointed out that this could be hindered by such charges, arguing that it should be free or “dramatically cheaper” for charities or non-profits.
The Butterfly Café opened its doors in 2023 with a mission to provide job opportunities, workplace training and support to islanders who have experienced abuse.
Earlier this year, Ms O’Connor said her “devastated but resilient” team has come back “stronger than ever” after a former employee was jailed for stealing almost £2,000 from the social enterprise.
Express has submitted a request under the Freedom of Information Law asking how much parish income is generated from al-fresco fees.