A local village shop in Dorset has been given a new lease of life thanks to the tenacity of a group of residents and a housebuilder’s generous donation.
Fontmell Magna Village shop was in danger of being sold and turned into flats five years ago when its owner threatened to sell, but local people came to the rescue and helped save the much-loved shop themselves.
They set up a Community Land Trust (CLT) which raised just over £200,000 from the sale of shares to the local community and secured a match funding grant for the same amount from the Government’s Community Ownership Fund. This enabled the CLT to purchase the freehold of the shop property. Pennyfarthing Homes, who is building a new housing development in the village, also donated £5,000 to help with the fundraising efforts which was match funded by the Government effectively doubling its value.
The shop was saved and local people have been working hard over the last two years to make it a big success with its popular team room being a welcome revenue stream to the business.
Dick Stainer, Chairman of the Fontmell Magna Community Land Trust, commented: “It’s been a very satisfying project saving the village shop and a real example of how a community pulls together in times of adversity.
“Thank you to Pennyfarthing Homes for its generous donation which has helped the project’s funds and made a big difference.”
Dick added: “Locals would have been forced to make a much longer trip to the nearest shops if the village shop had closed down. For many that would have been a very difficult journey. It has been a cause of great satisfaction to all the local residents that we now own the premises enabling the community to continue to benefit from a local shop.”
Sheetal Smith, Sales and Marketing Director at Pennyfarthing Homes, said: “We are selling an exciting new development in the village so we felt it was important to support this local village shop that was at risk of closing. It was so important to the community and I’m sure our new residents at Spring Meadows will be a good source of new revenue for the shop going forward.”
The Fontmell Village shop is now continuing as a thriving business where locals can shop for basic provisions, use the post office and meet up for a cup of tea or a coffee.
