SHAW and Whitley Community Hub has received a £1,500 grant from Melksham Without Parish Council to help their campaign to save the village shop.
The community group will use the money to help set themselves up as a ‘community benefit society’ and join the Plunkett Foundation, which has helped almost 600 community businesses across the UK reach trading stage.
Shaw and Whitley Community Hub was set up in response to the post-lockdown news that The Toast Office, Top Lane, would not be reopening – the group hopes to either buy the former shop when it goes on the market, or set up an alternative community shop elsewhere in the villages.
At last week’s Melksham Without Parish Council meeting, members from the group revealed that a recent survey of local villagers demonstrated overwhelming support for a community shop.
“There is a will in the village for a shop, and we wil do our best to deliver that,” said group member Alison Candlin.
The group had originally asked the parish council for £3,000 to help them “get up and running and up to the next stage”, explaining that without the parish council’s support it would be difficult for them to continue.
However, cllr Nick Holder objected to the amount requested, explaining that he could not support the application until the group had applied to and received the support of the Melksham Area Board, which cllr Holder sits on as a Wiltshire councillor.
Cllr Holder also said that Shaw and Whitley Community Hub should also explore the possibility of villagers paying a “membership” to the community shop to help fund the project.
In response, chair of Shaw and Whitley Community Hub, Nathan Hall, explained that over 100 villagers who had responded to the survey had said they would support a “share scheme”
“Time is of the essence,” said Nathan. “The Toast Office building could go on the market at any moment.”
Making a ‘friendly amendment’ to the proposal by cllr Paul Carter to give the full £3,000, cllr Alan Baines proposed the parish council instead grant the group £1,500.
The majority of councillors voted in favour of the £1,500 grant – cllr Holder abstained, whilst cllr Terry Chivers objected, explaining that he wanted to give the group the full £3,000 requested.
Shaw and Whitley Community Hub will be hosting ‘village consultation days’ in November to share their plans so far, receive feedback, and answer any questions. The consultation is a drop-in event, but numbers will be restricted to follow Covid-19 government guidelines.
The ‘village consultation days’ will be held on: Friday 6th November, 1pm to 6pm, at the Reading Rooms, Middle Lane, Whitley; and Saturday 7th November, 1pm to 6pm, at Shaw Village Hall, The Beeches, Shaw.
For more information about the Whitley Community Hub group, visit: https://whitley-community-hub.yolasite.com
