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Dateline: 5th December, 2007
Lemon Tree Closes Aberdeen's Lemon Tree arts venue has gone into liquidation after its board decided it "had no alternative but to cease trading with immediate effect." The statement from the board continued, "All due legal processes will be followed in proceeding to voluntary liquidation. "We regret the decision and the impact that there will inevitably be on staff and customers, particularly at this time of year, but we are unable to continue trading when we do not have enough cash to meet our liabilities." Around fifty full- and part-time staff will lose their jobs. The centre has had a troubled financial history since it opened in 1992, losing £170,000 in 2004 but being rescued by the city council the following year with a £346,000 grant. Since then the council's annual grant has been around £200,000 but last year it lost its annual grant from the Scottish Arts Council. The closure comes in spite of the fact that the council had offered the chance to have a loan from the Aberdeen Business Enterprise Scheme or have an increased overdraft facility underwritten by the council. The board, however, decided that the situation was too serious for either to be a viable option. Update 7th December Staff at the centre have started a campaign to raise money to keep it open. Former programme director Claire Jessiman told BBC Scotland: "We are going to do everything we can to try and save The Lemon Tree. We have 14 days until the liquidators take over. "We think it is realistic. We have already had a lot of support from people and companies." A website has been set up by the staff to organise protests and donations.
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