Hampstead Norreys community shop prepares to open

The long-awaited community shop will open its doors for the first time on March 26

HAMPSTEAD Norreys' long-awaited community shop, run by the community, for the community, will open its doors for the first time on March 26.

The final details of what the store will stock, when it will open and how it will be staffed were announced at a meeting between the community shop committee and local residents on Monday evening.

The shop will be owned and run by the community itself, with more than half of the village residents - nearly 450 people - having each invested £10.

One of the members of the shop committee, George Greenham, said: “We view our goal as providing a service for the community, so as far as possible we will try to satisfy the community's needs.

“Any profit that is made by the shop can only be used for the benefit of the community at large.”

Far from just being a local corner store, the village shop will offer a myriad of services, including dry cleaning, key cutting, shoe repair, a prescription drop off service, a coffee area and much more.

The decision to open a community shop was taken after questionnaire in 2006 showed a resounding need for such a service.

Committees were then set up and feasibility studies undertaken and by the spring of 2009 the decision was finally taken to go ahead with the idea.

Councilor Barbara Alexander (Con, Compton), who lives in Hampstead Norreys, said: “I think it is fantastic news for the village.

“This is actually quite a good village, we have a school, we have a pub and now, we will have a village shop.”

“Older people who live in the village and who do not drive have found it hard to do their shopping but that will now be taken care of.”

The shop will be located on Betts Farm Yard in Church Street.

Though the shop will have the equivalent of one full-time, paid manager, it will mostly be staffed by part-time volunteers.

Hampstead Norreys has been without a village store since 1998.

There are about 250 community owned shops trading in England, Scotland and Wales.