Starting in 2011, Churchinford Community Shop has rapidly grown and is now an integral part of the village.
History
Our Story
Churchinford and District General Stores is a Community Interest Company (CIC) which was formed in 2010. Any profits are reinvested back into the business or into community projects.
The CIC is run by a Board of Directors all of whom give their services free of charge. A list of the current Directors is available in the shop or on request. If you would like to know more about community interest companies, visit the website for The Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies.
The Portacabin
We have come a long way since the shop opened in a portacabin in the Village Hall Carpark in May 2011 after our village shop closed. The community came together to help shape our shop, to fundraise and to buy but above all to provide a small army of volunteers (many of whom are still with us today) to serve in the shop and undertake the many tasks needed to keep the shop going.
It soon became clear that the shop was also fast becoming a community hub where people could shop, gain work experience, use the services, advertise their business, sell their goods or simply socialise.
Permanent Shop
After much negotiation, fundraising and grant applications, we began to create our new shop just across the road, adapting and equipping the main building and constructing the beautiful oak-framed coffee shop.
We moved in in May 2013 and in just two years, the shop had been trading so well that we were able to get a mortgage to purchase the freehold and employ a full-time manager.
Since then, we have gone from strength to strength opening a post office with outreach services to other villages and employing two more people to run the post-office and help with shop management.
