Payhembury Provisions
July 2011 Payhembury Provisions open for business!
TILLS have been ringing in Payhembury after villagers opened the doors of their new community shop.
Payhembury Provisions, which is run by a team of volunteers, celebrated its officially opening on Saturday, July 2, following the closure of its village shop back in April 2010.
Chairman of the shop committee Lorinda Perry, who helped set up the store, said: “We are very pleased with the shop and look forward to it continuing for a long time. On the opening day we had a good number of people attend and they were queuing up all around the shop. It is wonderful to have it up and running and to have a shop back in the village. Setting up the shop has been a community effort.”
The committee is currently in talks with Post Office Limited to see whether a service can be set up.
Payhembury Provisions currently has 240 volunteers helping to keep the doors opening seven days a week. The village shop even received a message of support from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, who said: “I’ve no doubt the shop will become a great focal point for the community – and I sincerely hope it will encourage others who are visiting the area to follow the example. Projects like this are all too few and far between – may there be many more, both here in the West Country, and all over rural Britain.”
Article from Midweek Herald 24, 5th July 2011, http://www.midweekherald.co.uk/news/new_community_run_shop_opens_for_business_1_953668