Villagers celebrate saved shop's birthday and ongoing succes

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/news/ ... ticle.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

RESIDENTS of Stokeinteignhead are celebrating the first birthday of the village shop they saved from permanent closure.

They say the community shop's survival has saved the village.

Karl Pederson, village shop committee chairman, said: "Because of this the heart of the village has returned fully.

"Stokeinteignhead has an excellent pub and these two businesses give Stokeinteignhead the social hub that is so essential in a village community."

Residents of the small South Devon village raised thousands of pounds to prevent their shop from closing down after it fell victim to swingeing Royal Mail Post Office cuts in 2008.

The shop was left empty after it wasn't considered viable to run without the Post Office income.

But locals realised they could go it alone and secured funding, loans and donations amounting to £37,500 to reopen their shop when it shut last August.

Following extensive campaigning, grants were obtained from the National Lottery Awards for All, the Plunkett Foundation and Devon County Council, plus a loan from Cooperative and Community Finance.

In addition, and as a crucial demonstration of community support, £7,000 was raised in the village through shares and loans.

One year on and the shop is going from strength to strength.

Mr Pederson said: "We can't really believe how successful it's all been.

"When we opened last year, it was with a certain amount of trepidation and we didn't really know how the shop would do and of course we were all amateurs at this sort of thing.

"The shop has exceeded our greatest hopes. We have been able to improve the type of stock we have in the shop, with more specialist types of foods and other items and we have also have been able to plough the profit back, making it a much stronger business."

If the shop had shut the consequences would have been far-reaching, he said.

Village pensioners could buy food staples without having to rely on the kindness of neighbours to take them into town.

Young people bought sweets and treats and mums and dads grab essentials on their way home, he said.

Village resident and shop committee member Eve Grisewood said: "Villagers continue to support the village shop, not only as customers, but also as volunteers. Everyone helps in the best way they can. There is a fantastic team of volunteers who serve in the shop.

"Behind the scenes we have an excellent committee. All these people have made the shop the great success that it is today, so many thanks to them all."

Pub landlord of the Church House Inn, Anthony Fusco, said: "We are very lucky in this village. These two businesses support each other perfectly. A shop is a fabulous amenity and sadly lacking in so many country communities nowadays.

"We have many visitors to the village who stay here on holiday and I know that it is also very useful for them to be able to get their supplies from the local shop."