Hyde Heath Village Shop Ltd
Shop success leads to new premises
When the family-owned shop and post office in Hyde Heath, Buckinghamshire, gave nine weeks’ notice of closure in January 2001, villagers were determined to have a community-run replacement up and running as soon as possible. Such was the generosity and support from the community that the new shop opened for business the very day after the previous one closed.
In just those few weeks before opening, the steering group had to establish whether there was a demand for a shop and what the villagers actually wanted from it. A suitable building had to be found, as well as the funds. A portacabin was quickly established as the shop’s temporary premises, and loans and pledges from the community were so numerous that only 50% needed to be called in. The demands of understanding all the various systems essential for running a successful shop - newspapers, accounts and the computer – were eased when the people who had run the previous shop offered considerable guidance.
By April 2002 a planning application to extend the village hall was approved and funding was sought from various bodies, including the Countryside Agency and local authorities, and in June 2003 the shop moved into its permanent premises. The management committee has always understood the importance of ongoing training for people to do a range of jobs which ensures that there is always adequate and appropriate staff cover. Five years on from initial opening, supported by the enthusiasm and commitment of both the team involved in the shop and those who use it, the business has managed to repay all its loans and makes a profit each year.
Hyde Heath Village Shop is recognised in the April 2006 Buckinghamshire Ambassadors awards
Hyde Heath Village shop were runners up in the Social Enterprise category of the Buckinghamshire Ambassador awards held on Thursday 27th April, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Marlow.
See http://www.hydeheath.com/NewShop1.htm and http://www.buckinghamshire-ambassadors.org.uk/?PageID=49 for further information.