Sparsholt Community Shop
Sparsholt’s Village Shop and Post Office was bought by the community as Sparsholt Village Shop Association Ltd, in January 2009 with a grant from Hampshire County Council (HCC) Village Community Grant Scheme and local contributions.
Sparsholt Village Shop Association was established as an Industrial Provident Society and the shop and PO were acquired in January 2009. The Association applied to HCC for funding towards buying the business and covering first year operational costs, having raised capital from the sale of shares at £25 each from more than 200 people in the parish and also from very generous debentures. The Association formulated ideas for improving financial viability, including introducing new facilities: local food, dry cleaning, etc.
After receiving the requested grant from HCC, the shop association improved security measures and undertook a shop refurbishment. Despite space constraints, the shop has a card rack, fridge/freezer, new outdoor lighting, an outdoor vegetable rack and newspaper rack, the latter two items built by villagers. Open Monday to Saturday (PO 0900-1200 except Saturdays) it is run by a team of paid part-time staff, a shop manager and many volunteers. All have an excellent rapport with regulars.
The range of fresh local produce has been expanded and embraced with gusto by customers, who enjoy an excellent selection, including daily freshly-baked bread and pastries from Lainston House, sausage rolls and savouries, flowers from Sparsholt College, produce from local gardens, meat from a butcher at Hursley (which results in a weekend run on bacon and sausages for cooked breakfasts!), fish from Chilbolton and eggs from Eastleigh. Dry cleaning is taken in and a prescription drop off box was introduced in September 2009. Volunteers are being sought for home delivery. If an elderly resident does not pop in for papers or goods regularly, someone checks that they are not unwell. It is clearly a community where everyone looks after each other.
Local produce and suppliers are extremely important and the shop is always looking at new products and ideas, as and when resources and customer interest permits. There is space adjacent to the shop which could be used for a café/seating area
Information from Hampshire County Council: www3.hants.gov.uk/business/rural-initiatives/villagegrant.htm
Winchester City Council has contributed £7,000 to help fund a vital community facility. Sparsholt Village Shop and Post Office, along with several other village stores, has received a village shop grant from the council. The grants were introduced in 2009 in response to the economic downturn.
The small, beautifully laid out, shop selling an excellent range of local produce as well as the usual essential grocery items now boasts a new fridge and shop fittings.
Michael Housham, Chairman of the Management Committee for Sparsholt Village Shop Association, said, "The grant has enabled us to improve and increase our capacity for displaying and stocking products. Together with the new product lines introduced this has been very well received by our customers and has been a great help to our staff and volunteers. Increasing our sales revenue is critical to the shop's survival and we very much appreciate any help we can get in achieving this."
Alison Woods, Acting Head of Economy and Arts, at Winchester City Council said, "Sparsholt Village Shop and Post Office provides an essential service for local residents. Not only does it provide basic supplies and a post office service for those without their own means of transport but it also popular with local residents because of its wide range of tempting local produce. During the last two severe winters village shops have also been a vital life line for snow bound residents who'd normally frequent supermarkets further afield. With fuel costs rising steadily residents may decide that being able to shop local is highly advantageous."
Sparsholt Village Shop and Post Office is open from 8am to 5pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and from 8am to 1pm on Wednesday and 8am to 12 noon on Saturday.
Information from Winchester City Council http://www.winchester.gov.uk/news/NewsArticle.asp?id=SX9452-A785D250
For further information and local news story please see - http://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/news/winchester/8985636.Winchester_City_Council_gives_boost_to_local_village_shop/