Brent Knoll Community Shop – which was initially launched as an ’emergency shop’ within days of the first Covid lockdown – has this week celebrated its second birthday amid continuing success.
The shop’s volunteers gathered together on Monday (April 18th), two years to the day since it launched, to toast its success with customers.
The volunteers also served up hot cross buns, cakes and drinks to the many customers and visitors who attended.
A birthday cake, pictured below, was cut by David Yates, the Vice Chairman of the Community Shop’s Management Committee.
David Sturgess, Secretary of Brent Knoll Community Shop, says: “For two years, we have replaced the services of our closed village shop to enable local residents to have easy access to everything they need: now we are focused on replacing our lost Post Office and delivering a community hub.”
The team recently secured planning consent for a temporary Portakabin in the village car-park, and the agreement of its Parish Council to pursue aims to provide a new building.
Meanwhile, extra volunteers are joining the team, enabling the shop to extend its opening hours.
Already open seven days a week, the aim is to recruit sufficient volunteers to expand opening hours on every day.
Located in a Portakabin in the village car park next door to the Parish Hall, the shop also has more fundraising planned.
Its next event will be the staging of an evening of ‘Songs of Somerset’ in the Parish Hall on St George’s Day, Saturday, 23rd April. Star of the show will be Brent Knoll’s postman, Tim Dean, who is also a local folk singer and song writer.
