Community shop coming to Sayers Common

Sayers Common Community Shop and the newly refurbished Sayers Common Village Hall are having a grand opening on April 26.
The new shop will open on April 26The new shop will open on April 26
The new shop will open on April 26

The shop will be owned and run by the community after a group of volunteers worked to end ten years without a village shop.

A grant from the parish council helped to set up the shop as an industrial & provident society, so any profits more than those needed to keep the shop running must be used for community purposes.

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Suggestions for the location of the shop ranged from converting of an old stable block to constructing a new building in the middle of the village.

The shop before its renovationThe shop before its renovation
The shop before its renovation

Once these options were ruled out, Sayers Common Village Hall Committee proposed that, as it was about to be refurbished, the Community Shop Group could use part of the renovated Village Hall to set up their community project.

After the village hall trustees were able to sell some unused land adjacent to the hall, a donation was made by The Dunlop Trust and a grant was received from the West Sussex Community Initiative Fund, enough money had been raised to complete the first stage of redevelopment.

Thanks to the work of local volunteers and builders Solid Platform, the village hall has been regenerated in just ten weeks.

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A grant from the Plunkett Foundation and help from some local businesses also helped and many residents of Sayers Common have invested in £10 shares to be partner owners of the new shop, though none of these shareholders are able to profit from this venture.

The Sayers Common Community Shop will be staffed and run by volunteers and will sell convenience store products and take-away tea, coffee and snacks.

The ceremony will be performed by county councillor Peter Griffiths at 2:30pm and will provide wine, tea, coffee and nibbles.