Slapton Village Community Shop opened on Saturday 3rd February 2018, replacing the former independent shop in the village which closed at the end of January 2018, upon the retirement of the owners Ron and Dale Higgins.
The new Community Shop is currently located at the end of the Village Hall car park in Wood Lane, near Slapton Ley Field Centre.
Many thanks must go to the work of the original steering group.
Fifteen villagers organised the efforts to raise funds, which amounted to nearly £30,000, mostly donated from within the community; to locating a site, sourcing the wooden building which we now use and, with volunteered help, to ensuring that the shop was fitted out, stocked and ready to open on time. It was quite a task!
The shop is normally open seven days a week, from 8.00am to 6.00pm from Monday to Saturday and from 8.00am to 12.00pm on Sunday, but during the current crisis our opening hours are 8.00am to 1pm Monday to Saturday and 8am to 12 noon on Sunday.
Bank holiday opening times may vary according to the season; hours will be posted at the shop, on Facebook and on this website.
Since opening, we have been going from strength to strength. We have a large range of stock which we continue to expand to include many local products and fulfill where practical, given the limitations for storing some items, the requests of our customers.
We also offer fruit and veg contributed, when available, from the villagers’ gardens. The money that customers donate for this produce brings a welcome addition to our Slapton Shop collection box.
Thanks to a grant from South Hams District Council, we have been able to install much needed air-conditioning and a new fridge which is stocked with green vegetables, salad and fruit. The deli fridge from the old shop, which was kindly donated by Ron and Dale allows an increased stock of milk and dairy products, cheese, sandwiches and local meat plus other meat pastries and products.
Lastly, the grant stretched to a new drinks chiller, essential when the spectacular heatwave of summer 2018 brought about the demise of the old one.
Another success was achieving second place in the Tesco “Bags of Help” Appeal. The money we were awarded was used to buy a coffee machine, sun awning and a cafe table and two chairs at which to sit in the shade to chat or check your emails on our free WiFi.
We have recently replaced the old freezer with two new upright freezers, making it much easier to choose from our large selection of frozen vegetables, meat and fish products and an extensive range of ready meals.
A national report “Community Shops: A Better Form of Business” (05/07/2017) stated that “community shops are a lifeline for rural villages and surrounding areas”.
They provide much more than everyday essentials and can contribute to community life in many ways, such as:
To give an example, one Slapton resident who felt unable to leave the house unaccompanied, now visits the shop every day by herself and feels that she has regained her independence as a result.
Now that you know a little about the strength of the community shop ethos in general, the management committee, manager and volunteer staff of Slapton Village Community Shop look forward to welcoming you now and long into the future.
.
Copyright © 2021 Slapton Community Shop - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy