Sandford Community Stores
Sandford Community Stores Association
It was in the Autumn of 2005 when the Sandford postmistress announced that she wanted to retire, and so the small post office was threatened with closure. As Sandford didn't have a shop, a group of concerned people got together and worked to 'save' the post office, and to open a community shop. In a time of difficulties for rural shops we knew it would be a hard slog, and that the only way to make it profitable was for the community to both own it and work in it voluntarily.
At first local people were both incredulous and suspicious. We did not know quite how to raise the £70,000 we needed to buy the post office premises, and to make the building alterations needed to make it big enough to become a village shop. We had jumble sales, farm walks, coffee mornings. The famous folk duo "Show of Hands with Miranda Sykes' helped us with a gig in the village hall - that really made people realise we were serious and we raised a lot of money. People made gifts and pledged loans and then we had an amazing £30,000. That was enough to demonstrate to the Big Lottery, the Esme Fairbarn Foundation amongst others that we had an important rural project and that we had the local commitment to see the project through.
But that was only the start. We needed to persuade the post office that we needed a new sub-postmaster. We needed a part time assistant for the shop. The Big Lottery helped us with a grant of £92,000 and that was the second big turning point. The crucial component in these applications was the evidence of the team of committed volunteers who took on every aspect of the work from delivering newspapers in all weathers, to cleaning and shelf filling. Apart from the paid staff, there are always volunteers helping in the shop, and many have learnt how to use the till! It has become a centre of social interaction, and we wish we had the space for a coffee bar.
Our community shop and post office is a lifeline to local people. There are six buses a day to the nearby town of Crediton, and it is a long walk to the supermarket for those with no transport. Now most things from washing powder to fish can be bought in our shop, and an on-line computer is available for public use.
In these times when many rural post offices are threatened with closure, we have managed not only to save our post office, but in the face of rural life difficulties, we are running a very successful and growing village shop. Life has changed so much. If we want local services we have to do something about it ourselves. That's what we did in Sandford and we hope it will continue for many years to come.