A new village shop in East Cowton near Northallerton has become a hub for the local community after a successful first year in business.
Richmond MP Rishi Sunak praised the local commitment of the volunteers from the village who’s hard work has made for the shop’s success.
East Cowton Community Shop opened in December 2017 after residents banded together to ensure a shop remained in the village, replacing the old store and post office.
East Cowton Community Enterprise LTD was established with a group of 78 investors raising just over £35,000 to purchase a building sited next to the village hall.
The shop now entirely run by volunteers opens daily with a pop up cafe taking place in the village hall on Friday afternoons in conjunction with the visit of the mobile post office.
After Mr Sunak’s recent visit, he said: “Putting the shop here has been the catalyst for a regular community gathering, helping to sustain both enterprises and really bring villagers together.
“The shop investors and volunteers have done an amazing job and demonstrate what a community can do.”
Hambleton district councilor Stephen Watson, a leading member of the community enterprise who helped raise an£8000 grant for the project said: “The shop has done so well in it’s first year and we are now in position to potentially repay half of the original investment plus a three percent dividend.
“Whats most gratifying is the way the villagers have rallied to the cause to deliver a great social hub.”
The pop up cafe run by Linda Bainbridge is attracting a regular crowd of of villagers and was raising money for a project to build a replacement hall with a long term ambition to combine the hall and shop supplying an even greater range of services to the village.
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