Local shop triumphs in ‘rural Oscars’
A community-owned shop in Worcestershire has won a national award at a ceremony at the House of Lords.
Feckenham Village Shop took the trophy in the ‘best village shop/post office’ category at the Countryside Alliance Awards – known as the ‘rural Oscars’.
After 20 years without a shop, a group of Feckenham volunteers with no previous retail experience bought, upgraded and opened their own.
More than £40,000 was raised in just seven months and hundreds of parishioners signed up as shareholders.
Countryside Alliance chief executive Simon Hart said the shop had brought the ‘feelgood factor’ to the community, adding: ‘This has rippled outwards and local schools and businesses are also benefiting from this shop’s support.’
The community is now planning the addition of a tearoom.
The shop was helped by the Village Core programme, managed by the Plunkett Foundation, in partnership with the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and Co-operative and Community Finance.
The Plunkett Foundation supports rural communities in setting up and running community-owned rural shops with practical assistance, advisory support and financial start-up packages.
A record three community-owned shops were crowned regional winners at the event, with Blockley in Gloucestershire and Berrynarbor in Devon also recognised, while Lincolnshire’s Agricultural Chaplain, Revd Canon Alan Robson was crowned ‘rural hero’.
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