Shop appeals for support to ensure future
A community shop run entirely by volunteers in south Shropshire will "not be viable" if customers do not return now it has opened again after lockdown.
The Lydbury North village shop is run by a team of around 50 volunteers and has been an established community asset for more than 17 years.
Volunteers want to ensure its future and are trying to get their customers to come back after they have made the shop Covid-safe following months of lockdown.
During lockdown, customers would have had to shop elsewhere for their groceries and essentials, maybe even booked online delivery slots or had to go to bigger supermarkets out of town.
Now, volunteers are urging people to continue to support the local store so it can carry on trading.
Julia Parker, shop volunteer, said they want to keep it going as it has environmental benefits such as people don't have to drive to bigger shops and it stocks a lot of local produce.
"It has been going 17 years and there are almost 50 people involved with it – the village only has 350 people in it," Julia said.
"It was closed around when lockdown was announced as a lot of the volunteers are elderly and didn't want to be exposed to the virus or anything. So we were closed for quite a long time and we reopened a few months ago.
"We are open now in the mornings but we hope to open longer soon. We just need to get our customers back really. The shops sells everything from local produce like milk, eggs and ice cream, to frozen food, ready meals, Tanners wine, groceries.
"The committee works very hard and now we need to get the customers back. It is on the main road through Bishop's Castle and Craven Arms so we normally get passing traffic as well."
The shop is open Monday to Saturday 8.30am to 1pm, Sunday 9am to 12pm.
