For more than a decade, Harvest N16 has been a valued part of the Stoke Newington community, supporting local residents, independent producers, suppliers and local employment.

Today, Harvest N16 has been forced to temporarily close its doors following a dispute between the company’s directors, which has created a deadlock preventing payments from being made.

As a result:

• 19 members of staff have now gone approximately two months without receiving their wages.

• Numerous independent suppliers remain unpaid for goods and services already provided.

• Local families, workers and small businesses are suffering through no fault of their own.

Many of the affected suppliers are themselves small independent businesses that rely on timely payments to pay their own staff and meet their own obligations. The impact of this situation extends far beyond Harvest N16.

We are calling on director Ergun to fulfil his responsibilities as a company director, work constructively towards resolving the current deadlock, and allow outstanding payments to staff and suppliers to be made immediately.

This is not about taking sides in a business dispute.

This is about protecting jobs, supporting local businesses, and ensuring that a much loved community store can reopen and continue serving Stoke Newington.