Brent Knoll’s ‘Emergency Shop’ – which was opened in response to the first lockdown – now faces the challenge of their shop being put up for sale.
However, the team of volunteers remains committed to becoming a permanent feature.
Brent Knoll Community Shop was opened within ten days of the first lockdown, and has been trading successfully for seven days a week ever since.
Having received enormous help and support from the shop owner, the volunteer team now are coming to terms with the owner putting her home and the shop up for sale, probably removing the potential for the shop being in the permanent location.
“We understand, entirely, why the shop owner has had to put her home and the shop on the market, and potentially ended our former aim of making this our permanent home”, said Dr Niall Moore, Chairman of the Brent Knoll Community Shop Steering Group.
“But the shop owner has confirmed that we can continue to operate from that premises for the foreseeable future, while we are working – hand-in-glove – with the Brent Knoll Parish Council to produce a solution that will also enable us to have extra space to accommodate a restored Post Office service and a village café facility.”
“We remain committed to delivering what our public consultation revealed: a strong support for a community shop with extended opening hours; the restoration of Post Office services; the delivery of a village café facility.”
The team of volunteers who run the successful community shop has now applied for a drinks licence as part of a plan to expand their operations and their opening hours.
Meanwhile, the team of volunteers have also secured their own bank account, enabling them to apply for grants that are available to help with their aim of providing a Covid-secure service to local residents – and their goal of providing a permanent shop and the restoration of Post Office services.
“We are determined to ensure the permanence of our Community Shop and to restore Post Office Services,” adds Dr Moore.
