Bid to raise £200,000 for community shop (From Cotswold Journal)

Bid to raise £200,000 for community shop

4:00pm Friday 8th February 2013 in News

A FUND-RAISING campaign has been launched in Bledington for a new community shop and cafe.

Plans were approved by Cotswold District Council last month for the change of use of part of an orchard to allow a community shop and café to be built on land off Church Lane.

The village, near Kingham, has been without a shop for six years but a small band of dedicated volunteers have been working hard to get plans for a new one off the ground.

Members of the committee are working hard to raise the £200,000 needed for the project which they hope to raise through grants, charitable trusts, match-funding and community events.

Benjamin Ball, committee member, said they were delighted to be granted planning permission.

“We’re very pleased,” he said. “There were over 100 letters of support from locals. It’s been six years of hard work by members of the shop group so for people in the village I think people are excited about the prospect of having a shop back in Bledington.

“What’s special about this is it’s going to be a shop and café. It’s very much a social centre for the village.

“We are confident of being able to raise that money but it’s going to be hard work for the next few months.”

The committee has about 170 members who have joined the Bledington Community Shop Ltd and £30,000 has already been raised.

The new shop and café would be built on land at Middle Orchard and will include a wide range of services including locally sourced produce and a post office. A frog racing event is being held on Saturday, March 23, at Bledington School at 7.30pm.