A COMMUNITY shop on Exmoor will be able to keep trading after new tenants were found to take it on and continue its 33-year history.
Sarah Fox and Mark Burgess will run the Wootton Courtenay Villagers’ Stores when current tenant Andy Giles steps down after more than four years in April or May to ‘pursue new business ventures’.
The couple have also been undergoing Post Office training to allow them to also operate the village PO service from the shop premises.
An open evening is being planned in the village hall for a date likely to be in April when villagers will have an opportunity to meet Ms Fox and Mr Burgess to hear more about their plans and aspirations for the shop and its Skye’s café/bar and Post Office, as well as share ideas about what they would like to see.
The shop is owned by a non-profit village company created in 1991 solely to provide a general stores for the community and ensure it was well maintained.
Shop director Barbara O’Keefe said the provision of a ‘sustainable and continuous Post Office service’ was a major priority for the board because it recognised the importance of it for many villagers.
Ms O’Keefe said to best protect the PO service and help guarantee the future of the shop, the board has taken a key decision that the Villagers’ Stores should be the legal Postmaster.
She recognised also that funds would soon need to be raised to repay loan guarantors and carry out essential buildings work on the shop and flat.
The directors were treating their financial responsibilities ‘most seriously’, which was taking up a significant amount of their time and energy.
Ms O’Keefe said: “In the interests of existing shareholders and the wider village community, we must get this right.
“We have commissioned legal advice are considering a range of fund-raising options, but this is a complex area, and it will take some time.
“We appreciate that some months ago a number of villagers expressed an interest in helping by investing in the company and we are sorry that this issue is taking some time to resolve.
“However, please be assured that we will be in touch as soon as we are ready to confirm our proposals.”
This week, the villagers’ stores was undergoing a refurbishment to meet modern fire regulations which it was hoped would be completed by Friday.
The work has meant opening hours restricted to 8 am to 11 am daily with access via a side door, where Mr Giles was running an alternative shop service from a conservatory, although he could not offer Post Office provision.
Ms O’Keefe said even if the new tenancy had not been formally signed-off by May 7, the village’s King’s Coronation event would still go ahead in the shop garden and would be co-ordinated by Ms Fox and Mr Burgess.