Village shops are closing at the rate of 300 a year across rural England. In Wiltshire independent village retailers are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain their local shop services in the face of increasing trading pressures from larger supermarket chains and from the adverse impacts of wide ranging changes in the patterns of demographics, transport and lifestyles in rural communities. One in five households in Wiltshire has no access to a car and the village shop is a vital local and accessible service resource for the elderly, the mobility impaired and the wider local community. Village shops also play a vital role in community social cohesion and as a local information centre.

The new role of Village Shops Adviser at Community First will provide free proactive and expert support to village shop retailers and offer practical business support and advice to help retailers improve and sustain the viability of their shops. The role will also involve working with local shops and the communities they serve to explore and develop new solutions to rural retailing needs – including local and fair trade produce retailing, social enterprise, merchandising and local internet shopping services.

Funding
BUSINESS GRANTS AND LOANS FUND

A combination of grants and loans of between £500 and £10,000

Funding for:-

· ICT and new technologies, (Epos, Management systems etc.)
· shop redevelopment or refurbishment, internal or external imagery.
· equipment purchase and repair including refrigeration, security etc.
· provision of community services e.g. Internet access, fax, photocopying.
· and many other eligible purposes.

For more information about the Business Grants and Loans Fund, click here


If you are a local village shop retailer and would like to explore ways to improve your shop's performance then contact :

Tim Coomer
Village Shops Adviser
Email: tcoomer@communityfirst.org.uk


Click here for Help and Advice for Village Shops leaflet - .pdf file

Follow this link to download the End of Year Report - April 2008. (PDF File - 307kb)