Brent Knoll’s community shop is now owned by local shareholders after attracting more than 130 local residents to buy shares at £25 each.
Many residents bought a large number of shares to help secure the future of the shop.
51 of those shareholders attended the first face-to-face meeting to be held at Brent Knoll Parish Hall since the lifting of Covid restrictions.
They heard about the shop’s progress and accounts, and elected a new Management Committee of eight shareholders.
High on the priority list for that new Management Committee will be the issue of where the Community Shop will be located.
“Right now, we are operating from the closed village shop with the support of its owner,” says David Sturgess, who was secretary of the originating Steering Group and has been elected to the new Management Committee.
“But that property is on the market for sale, while our Parish Council has received support from the community to apply for a loan to provide a new building that would also replace the village’s existing public toilets.”
“If that plan succeeds, there is still a likelihood of our shop having to find an interim location between the loss of the village shop and the availability of a new building,” he adds.
Meanwhile, the Annual Members’ Meeting approved the determination to sustain the Community Shop, pursuing the restoration of Post Office services, and providing a coffee shop community hub for Brent Knoll.
Outgoing Chair of the Steering Group, all of whom had to stand down at the Annual Members’ Meeting, Dr Niall Moore, paid tribute to the team of more than 20 volunteers who staff the shop seven days per week.
“We have been financially viable from Day One, and delivered a true community service — this is entirely down to the enthusiastic support of our volunteers,” he says.
