Cheswardine shop proves a local lifeline
Britain's smallest community shop, in an outbuilding beside a Shropshire village pub, has become a lifeline for residents during the cold snap with weekly takings up 20 per cent despite the extreme weather conditions.
Britain's smallest community shop, in an outbuilding beside a Shropshire village pub, has become a lifeline for residents during the cold snap with weekly takings up 20 per cent despite the extreme weather conditions.
In its first winter, Cheswardine Community Shop, based in the village near Market Drayton, has quickly become a vital part of village life.
Last week the shop's weekly takings shot up by 20 per cent from their average of £800 a week to over £1,000. Supporters of the tiny shop say it proves just how crucial the facility has become in village life.
The social enterprise shop opened next to the Fox and Hounds pub in May and is staffed and owned by villagers, many of whom have bought shares in the venture.
Its arrival ended an 18-month spell without a village shop in Cheswardine.
During that time villagers faced long trips to Newport or Market Drayton to stock up on basic supplies.
Amanda Parish, chairman of the Cheswardine Community Shop Group, said today: "This is our first Christmas, and as well as adding to the festivities in Cheswardine, we have again demonstrated the importance of a community shop to the village."
The shop is staffed by about 40 volunteers working shifts on a rota.
