Getting together to run their shop

More than 100 people attended a public meeting earlier this month to discuss whether villagers could set up a co-operative shop.

Now a working party of six volunteers has been formed and they are eager to take the project forward.

Julie Allen, Helen Griffiths, Ken Miller, Malcolm Ward, Marion Winstone and Nick Woodhouse will be finding out what facilities villagers want and whether they can find a suitable location for the shop.

Julie, 44, of the Ridge, has been living in the village only from the start of this month but is keen to get involved in the project. She felt a shop was a vital facility for a village.

She said: "When we moved from London we had a set criteria about the house and village where we wanted to live.

"By the time we moved here the shop had shut which was quite sad because it is a real focal point for the community."

The next step for the working party is to find out how much support they have from villagers.

Helen Griffiths, of Malthouse Close, came up with the idea of a co-operative shop after a similar initiative in her sister's village in Buckinghamshire. It would mean villagers would run the shop on a non-profit basis.

Amongst the six volunteers on the working party, two have previous retail experience.

Ken Miller used to run Miller's Newsagents on the High Street where there has been a shop for the last 30 years.

It was taken over two and a half years ago by Sarah and Shaun Telling renamed Sarah's general Stores until it closed when it became a financial liability for the couple.

Nick Woodhouse also used to run another shop in Blunsdon.

Rachel Smith, clerk to the Parish Council, said: "The Parish Council may just have a supportive role in setting up and running a shop by giving advice and from now on it will take a back seat.

"The working party will take the project forward. If it comes to a planning application, obviously the Parish council will support them, depending on the details."