Community Shop Pt.1 - What is a Community Shop and why are they important?
Community shops are run by the community for the community, providing essential goods and services and a meeting point for people in the community. They exist throughout the country in tiny villages, small towns, suburbs of towns and cities and even in large built up urban areas. Their defining feature is the sense that a community shop can be more than somewhere just to buy bread and a newspaper, instead it can act as a catalyst for bringing a community closer together.
The Plunkett Foundation is an organisation that supports communities to overcome the challenges they face through community enterprise. They provide active assistance and guidance in setting up and running community shops and also carry out research and reports into the sector in the UK.
“Community shops are sustainable, democratic forms of businesses that succeed where commercial ventures have failed.”
Their website (here) annual online report (here) and research (here) are essential reading for anyone interested in community shops and community enterprise.
As of today there are 328 Community Shops operating in the British Isles, with 18 in Oxfordshire and 9 in Buckinghamshire (map link).
The greatest number are in rural areas and the majority are structured as ‘industrial and provident Societies for the benefit of the community’ (link to more information).
As of 2013 the 309 trading community shops had a combined turnover of around £48 million with an average net profit of £3,220, with the majority invested back into the shop or into the local community.
Community Shops are in the main staffed by a mix of volunteers and paid staff and managed by a management committee made up of local residents. Some shops operate a membership system and others are cooperative in nature. The local community decide on the best structure for setting up, managing and governing the shop so that it contributes as much as possible to the community and is secure and stable into perpetuity.
There is no one size fits all approach. Each community has the opportunity to shape and mould a unique place that serves and enhances the community in which it operates. Community shops provide some, all or more of the following services:
Groceries and household essentials
Fresh local produce such as fruit, vegetables, meats and cheeses
Fresh bread, pastries and cakes
Newspapers, magazines and stationery
Bric-a-brac, gifts, toys and greetings cards
Cash machines and payment services
Through the Plunkett Foundations research they have identified a broad range of community benefits that result from the presence of a community shop:
Provide access to essential goods and services for all members of the community.
Provide particular benefit to the elderly, those with poor health and those without transport.
Encouraging local shopping, reducing car use and congestion on the roads.
Reduce physical and social isolation by providing a close-by meeting point for all members of the community.
Provide opportunities for work locally, for people of all ages and backgrounds to learn and develop new skills.
Provide a local focal point for people to come together for community causes and develop strong community networks and groups.
Community Shops exist throughout the country and operate successfully benefiting hundreds of local communities. The resources and support are available to make one a reality in any local community.
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