Village to get first shop for 18 years
A village could get its first shop in almost two decades, after receiving a grant
Beckbury Village is set to open a community shop early in the New Year.
At a meeting on Wednesday, residents were told that thanks to a generous grant from The Prince’s Countryside Fund, their ambition to open an entirely volunteer run shop in the village could finally be realised.
For the past three years villagers have been working to set up the shop, which they hope will bring new life into the community.
As well as selling local produce and basic provisions the shop will serve light refreshments and act as a community hub for local residents and visitors, including the many cyclists and walkers, to the village.
Funds have also been raised by the sale of community shares.
Over sixty volunteers have already been recruited to run the shop.
Management committee chair, Peter Gibbins, said: "Hearing that we had been successful in our application for a grant from The Prince’s Countryside Fund was excellent news.
"We feel that the shop will be a real asset to the community, reducing isolation of older people and young parents in particular, at the same time supporting local producers and reducing our carbon footprint.
"We will no longer have to make an eight mile round trip to the nearest grocery shop."
At the end of last year, plans for the village shop began to move forward.
The Beckbury village shop committee was initially established after the Beckbury Parish Plan in 2013, which identified the need for a shop.
A suitable site was found, next to the village hall on Badger Lane, and plans were submitted to Shropshire Council in December suggesting a pre-fabricated building as the most appropriate for the site.
The village only has some 139 properties, and a population of less than 400, according to the 2011 census.
The last shop and post office in the village closed down in 1998 as the business was not considered to be economically viable.
A survey was conducted by the Community Shop Committee in 2015, to see what the demand would be.
It received 79 responses from Beckbury residents with six per cent saying they would use the shop every day, 43 per cent several times a week, 22 per cent at least once a week, while 26 per cent of respondents said they would be prepared to help out in the shop.
The shop committee are still selling community shares at £10 each and are also looking for more volunteers.
Anyone interested should contact Peter Gibbins on 01952 750293 or email the shop at Beckburyshop@hotmail.com