Community shop volunteers toast a decade of success
Aston on Clun Community Shop volunteers, past and present, got together to toast 10 years of successful trading recently.
Pauline Johnson, current Chair of the Shop stated: "When a group of enterprising villagers took on the ambitious project of starting a community shop, they could not envisage that ten years later, the Shop would have taken over £1 million and would be a vital part of the local economy.
"The Shop has become much more than a place to buy necessities - it is a vital hub for socialising and communication."
Open every day, except Christmas Day, the Shop is managed and run by volunteers only.
"Of 400 community shops around the country, only 20 operate with no paid staff," Pauline said.
"Volunteers say they love 'giving back’ and that being in the shop is lots of fun and gives you the chance to meet lovely people’ while customers comment that there is always a friendly face and that prices are very reasonable in difficult times."
Shropshire Council recently renewed the trading licence, so the volunteers not only toasted their accomplishment so far, but raised a glass to the future and the continued success of the local enterprise with the community at its heart.
