Woodgreen Village Shop and Post Office
Woodgreen Community Shop celebrates new premises opening with party for whole community
Saturday 14th May 2011
Residents of a Hampshire village are set to celebrate the opening of brand new shop premises after raising over £300,000.
Woodgreen Community Shop – owned and run by the community itself – managed to raise £120k from donations and fund-raising events alone to contribute to the building of custom-made timber and red brick premises, with the remainder of the required funds being secured through grants from various sources including the Big Lottery Fund and Hampshire County Council.
Villagers will celebrate their achievement by throwing a party for the entire community, featuring live music, stalls and displays showcasing local food producers throughout the day and culminating in evening festivities of a hog roast, BBQ, beer tent and live bands.
No strangers to adversity, the celebrations will also mark the end of a five year struggle for the villagers, who, in 2006, fought to save their struggling village shop through community ownership. After a drawn-out process of planning permission and attempting to make the shop a success trading in premises too small for the stock required by the village, the new building represents a fresh start for the whole community.
James Alcock, Community Retail Adviser at Plunkett, says: “Woodgreen is a great success within the community and has been embraced by the village, ensuring its survival. We’re delighted they’re now able to move into more suitable premises and wish them continued success.”