Brent Knoll is to open an ’emergency shop’ from 18th April as a bridge between the recent closure of the village shop and plans for a new ‘community shop’.
The village’s Emergency Shop during the Coronavirus outbreak will supply newspapers, bread, milk, groceries, and vegetable boxes – all provided by local suppliers.
David Sturgess, a member of the Steering Group for the village’s community shop project, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “Our plan is to re-open the closed village shop in Brent Knoll on Saturday 18th April, which volunteers will staff for two hours per day (from 9-11am) for five days per week. We’ll be closed on Wednesdays and Sundays.”
“Right now, we need the 42 people who responded to our community-shop survey to say that they are also willing to help with this ‘Emergency Shop’ initiative.”
Before the Coronavirus crisis emerged, Brent Knoll conducted a public consultation survey on the concept of creating a ‘community shop’ to replace the now closed village shop and Post Office.
As Burnham-On-Sea.com reported here, more than 150 people responded to that survey, with only one opposing the concept. 42 respondents offered to be volunteers to help run the shop, 26 offered to join the Steering Group, 12 people offered their professional skills to the project, and 93 agreed to become share-buying members at a cost of £50-£100.
David adds: “We are now waiting to hear whether the Plunkett Foundation – the charity that has helped more than 300 other rural community shops to thrive – will provide their support. Meanwhile, we need to do something to help the isolated people in our village to have access to basic products.”
“In addition to arranging supplies from local commercial suppliers, the team is also launching a Brent Knoll Bake-Off to encourage residents to bake cakes, biscuits and scones for sale in the ‘Emergency Shop’.”
“We want our neighbours to use their isolated hours to bake cakes, biscuits, and scones that can be sold in our ‘Emergency Shop’ to help cover the costs of such things as electricity for the refrigerator,” he added.
