News: 1 September 2011

Please come along to the official opening of Cottingham and Middleton’s new Village Store and Café, which will take place at 11am on Friday 2 September.

The shop will be officially opened by local resident Jeremy Sharman. Jeremy and Fiona Sharman and Steve and Jane Gaffney invested in buying the former village shop buildings and their extension and refurbishment.

The Village Store and Café,  which now includes a café and community rooms with free wifi internet access and computers for customers’ use, will be open seven days a week, run by four paid staff backed by a volunteer force of 25 villagers who are donating a few hours each week. The volunteers include several young people from the villages.

The shop opening times are 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, Saturday from 8am to 4pm, and 9am to 12.30pm on Sundays. The café will serve a wide range of food and drinks including locally made cakes and sandwiches, plus great coffee made from freshly ground beans. The store’s broad range includes groceries, chilled foods, household products and much more.

The project has been backed by more than 180 shareholders  who have invested more than £11,000 in the venture (including individual villagers, parish councils, the village copyholder landowners, sports clubs and other community groups and local businesses) - and by grant-giving bodies including North Northamptonshire Leader, Awards for All and the Plunkett Foundation. The grants are subsidising a significant part of the set up and running costs over the first three years.

Originally set a target of at least 100 shareholders, the fundraising for a co-op style Industrial and Provident Society set up to run the facility exceeded all expectations.

News: 24 May 2011

Share success for Cottingham’s new Village Store and Cafe

Cottingham and Middleton’s new Village Store and Café already has at least 150 shareholders, after an amazing open day on Saturday 21 May saw more than £6,000 raised from the community buying £10 shares and making extra donations.

The store and café is on track to open this summer after enough shares were bought to unlock a series of grants for the co-op style Industrial and Provident Society set up to run the facility.

The campaign needed at least 100 shareholders for the store to re-open five years after its doors were closed – seemingly for the last time. But the campaign to re-open this much missed village hub has been gaining momentum and the 100 shareholder target was passed at the open day.

The special open day on May 21 was held for villagers to see inside the building ahead of its full launch later this summer. Many suggestions were also given about what villagers want sold in the store and served in the café.

And volunteers came forward to join those already committed to helping run the new facility for a few hours each week.

Although the shareholder target has been reached, the invitation to buy £10 shares and become a member of the Industrial and Provident Society (IPS) is still live until June 11.

Dawn Watkins, Chair of the management group behind the plans for the store and café, said: “We were delighted by the number of people who came to the open day. Their enthusiasm for the project was so encouraging.

“The levels of support shown by people buying shares, volunteering and generally backing the venture gives us great confidence that the store and café will be a success.”

The IPS has an information pack available, with further details to help prospective shareholders decide whether to invest. To download a pack and application form, click here.

For more information, visit www.thevillagestoreandcafe.co.uk 

There is also a Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/The-village-store-and-cafe/134841919923146

To find out more please call David Swallow, the IPS Treasurer, on 01536 771796 or email david.swallow4@virgin.net
 

News: 15 May 2011

Villagers will get the chance to have a sneak preview of the new Cottingham and Middleton Village Store and Café when it throws its doors open for a special open day on Saturday 21 May from 10am till 5pm.

You’ll be able to have a look around the new facilities and have your say in what you would like the shop and café to stock and serve. Plus, there’s a great opportunity to get involved directly by buying shares in the shop.

The Village Shop and Café is being run by an Industrial and Provident Society (IPS), which has been specially set up by a committee of villagers to oversee the shop, and is a not-for-profit society. The IPS is looking for people to become shareholders to raise funds to stock and equip the shop, and also to unlock various grants.

The IPS has just launched a campaign called ‘Be One in a Hundred’ to sign up a minimum of 100 shareholders who can be individuals, families, businesses or other organisations. Shares are £10 each and they can be bought in any quantity up to the share issue’s current ceiling of £20,000. The shares are being issued by the IPS and when the target of 100 shareholders is reached, the shop can then get access to a range of grants that will help keep the shop running.

You can find out more about buying shares by downloading the Share Offer pack here. Alternatively, you can call IPS Treasurer David Swallow on 01536 771796 (email david.swallow4@virgin.net) for details.

In the meantime, make sure you put Saturday 21 May in your diary to go and have a look around the new shop and find out more about their exciting plans for the future.

News: August 2010

Work is progressing on the shop and is expected to be finished by the end of the month. When the shell of the shop is ready, Community Rocks, the charity that’s running the project, intends to hold an open day/evening when everyone will be welcome to come in, have a look around and find out more about the plans for the shop and cafe.

A detailed grant application is in progress which, if successful, will meet part of the set-up costs for the project. The opening date will depend to some extent on how long this process takes but is scheduled for Autumn 2010.

The chosen name for the premises is the 'Hub and Trumpet' which reflects the intention that it is to once more become a central hub of the village, where goods can be bought and sold and where people can meet to enjoy good coffee, good food and some lively conversation.

The Community Rocks team is grateful to all those who have volunteered to work in the shop and/or the cafe so far, but more volunteers are still required. If you can offer some time, please contact Rachel Hudson on 770766.

News: May 2010

Planning permission has now been granted for the renovations to the shop building and for its use as a shop and café. Work is progressing well and it is hoped that the shop and café will be up and running by late summer 2010. Once the framework is complete, the intention is to open up the shop premises for viewing and for fundraising activities. Details of this will be given nearer the time.

The freehold of the building is privately owned and the intention is to let the cottages (one 2-bed. and the other 4-bed) separately from the shop premises. Anyone who is interested in renting either of these should contact Jeremy Sharman on 07768 500 432. The shop premises will be rented by ‘Community Rocks’, a local charity that seeks to advance the Christian message by serving the community. The Charity is pleased to have the backing of both of the village churches in pursuing this project.

Volunteers

The projected turnover of the shop and café is such that the budget for employing staff is tight. The Charity is employing staff to cover the basic hours required but in order for the business to thrive, the voluntary support of the community is vital. If you would be willing to volunteer to work in the shop and/or café on a regular basis then please contact either Dawn Watkins on 770994, or Rachel Hudson on 770766. Experience is a bonus but training can be provided.

Use of the shop

At first, just basic provisions will be available such as bread and milk, but it is expected that the variety of goods will increase as time goes on. It is hoped that the shop will become a ‘hub’ through which local produce can be bought and sold. Other ideas, such as a ‘freecycle’ board where villagers advertise their unwanted items, have also been suggested. The trustees of ‘Community Rocks’ would be pleased to hear from anyone who has a bright idea for developing the community aspect of the shop – and from anyone who has expertise in this area who is willing to help on a practical level. The aim is for as many members of the community to be involved as possible in making this project a success. Please contact Dawn Watkins on 770994 or Wendy Curtis on 771987 if you have ideas that you would like to put forward.

News: 24 April 2009

We’re delighted to report that the village shop has now been sold and the new co-owners, Jeremy Sharman and Jane Gaffney, are planning to re-open the premises as a shop and coffee shop. Jeremy and Jane already own ‘Lydia’s’ tea shop in Gretton and a charity shop and youth centre in Kibworth. They plan to run the shop as a charity rather than a profit-making venture with any profit going to support local projects, like the village schools, or a Christian orphanage in India.

For more information see the April/May village newsletter. You can also contact Jeremy (770085), Jane (07852 495878) or, within the village, Rachel Hudson (770766).

News: 25 February 2009

The village shop and Post Office, along with the living accommodation, remains on the market following today's auction at Oadby Racecourse. Bidding started at £190,000 and went up to £208,000, but was withdrawn from sale as the reserve had not been met.

The auctioneers (Shonki Brothers) are continuing to handle the sale of the shop and are now looking for offers around £225,000. If you are interested in purchasing the shop, please contact Shonki brothers on 0116 254 3373, email info@shonkibrothers.com

News: 12 February 2009

The village shop and Post Office, along with the living accommodation, is going up for auction on 25 February, 5pm at Oadby Racecourse. The guide price is £240,000 to £250,000, and we are advised by the auctioneers (Shonki Brothers) that they would be happy to receive and forward any written offers to their client for consideration, prior to the actual auction. So, if you are interested in purchasing the shop, please contact Shonki brothers on 0116 254 3373, email info@shonkibrothers.com

A copy of the relevant pages from the auctioneer's catalogue is attached here

News: 12 June 2006

The village shop and Post Office, along with the living accommodation, has been placed on the market with specialist commercial estate agents Humberstones for £330,000.

Humberstones report that there’s been lots of interest in the purchase of the shop and post office and they’re confident that a buyer will soon be found. However, they advise that the process for taking on a post office is a lengthy one with business plans, interviews and accreditations taking up to five months to complete. So, we need to be patient!

Humberstones can be contacted on 0121 678 7788, email midlands@humberstones.co.uk
 

News: 7 February 2006

As you will be aware, the village shop has now been closed and boarded up following the unfortunate closure of the post office just before Christmas.

The shop is an invaluable resource for villagers in Cottingham, Middleton and East Carlton, and Cottingham Parish Council Clerk, Peter Taylor, is leading a cross-village working party that is looking to find a solution to the closure as soon as possible.

The working party, which includes representatives from the Post Office, Northants ACRE and local councillor Bob Rutt, is in active liaison with the shop’s current proprietor. A number of possible solutions to the closure have been discussed, including re-opening the shop on a temporary ‘village co-operative’ basis, but no action can really be taken until the intentions of the current proprietor are made known. However, the good news is that there has been a lot of interest shown in taking over the shop and post office, not only from the surrounding area, but nationally as well.

An official notice for the vacancy of sub-postmaster has been advertised (see the Parish Council notice boards) and anyone who’d like to register their interest should call Post Office Agency Recruitment on 0845 6016260. Anyone interested in taking over the shop should contact Peter Taylor on 01536 262984 (daytime) or 01536 761752 (evenings).

Free Shopping and Bread Delivery

Whilst the shop is closed, villagers Rachel Hudson and Denise McElwain have offered to provide a free shopping service for villagers in Cottingham and Middleton who are unable to get to the shops themselves. They plan to make one trip to Asda every Thursday so if you’d like to take them up on this offer, call Rachel on 770766 or Denise on 771374.

Also, Jan Sturman on Blind Lane is offering to run a bread delivery service for Cottingham and Middleton villagers. Jan already sells bread alongside her award-winning pickles and preserves on her stall at Rothwell’s Monday market and she’s willing to order and deliver bread to villagers on Mondays if enough people are interested. If you’d like to take Jan up on this offer, give her a call on 771713.

Newspaper Delivery

The Evening Telegraph has put a couple of delivery teams on standby to make sure you can still get your local paper. If you’d like to know more about ET deliveries, call the sales office on 01536 506178. The ET is also still on the lookout for a few more youngsters to help deliver newspapers in the villages. If you’re interested, call Sam at the ET on 01536 506184.