Dawn Blaze Leaves Charity Homeless

The two buildings in the background are in High Street - and below, the devasted building - photo taken from the NatWest Bank car park. Formerly the new Coffee Tavern - recently moved into Peter Crisp's.

The fire engine in Alfred Street - outside the other building of MIND

  A charity has been left without offices after fire swept through a town centre building yesterday.

  Thirty firefighters fought the blaze that destroyed the day centre of mental health charity Mind, just off Alfred Street, Rushden, early yesterday morning.

  Although the fire was quickly brought under control, it caused major damage to the building, which used to be the Coffee Tavern and is used by several different organisations.

  One of those is Mind, which has lost two floors of offices, a day centre that was refurbished in August last year and storage rooms. Branch manager Rosemary Van der Meer said : “We haven’t got a clue what the implications of this are going to be for us.

  “We have another office that backs on to the car park where the fire was – but unfortunately we can’t now use the rear door to that building either at least until Tuesday because of the fire, so that means it can’t be used by members of the public. We had the top two floors of the building that went up in flames.  My office was in there and it was all done out for groups, clubs and counselling so we have now got to make other arrangements.

  “There were computers in there and we also had a lot of furniture we were storing there.  The fire service thinks that the building will have to be pulled down because there’s nothing supporting the two gable ends.

  “It was insured but we don’t have a clue how long we’ll have to wait for the money to come through.  Being a charity means we have no cash flow so we haven’t got the money to hire other rooms immediately.”

  The Evolve Your Future training offices were also in the building, although it is thought the fire started on the floor above them.

  A Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue spokesman said : “There were five appliances called to the building.  The cause is, as yet, unknown.”

The fire was out by 8 am, but firefighters and officers stayed on the scene for several hours to investigate the causes of the blaze.

  Alfred Street was partially closed off during the fire and for most of yesterday morning.

Picture from the High Street end of the lane to Alfred Street shows the little building at the back was not damaged. The lane was closed off for a few days. It is used by many people walking between High Street and Alfred Street. Photo by Robert Clark when he surveyed the High Street in 2008/9 for a Local Business index.