Cumbrian community wants to buy ‘vital’ village shop

The citizens’ group met with local MP Markus Campbell-Savours to discuss government assistance

BBC Three members of the Hesket Newmarket Community Shop Project with local MP Markus Campbell-Savours outside the village's old brick shop. Left to right: a bald man with a short, trimmed grey beard and glasses, wearing a light blue button-up shirt over a dark blue T-shirt, light brown trousers and dark brown shoes; a woman with short, light hair, wearing a blue denim jacket over a long, flowing dress, with a bag strap hanging diagonally across her front; a second woman with short, blonde hair, wearing burgundy trousers and a button-up shirt with a purple, yellow, green and blue tartan print; and a very tall man with short, dark hair and glasses, wearing a bright red jumper over a white collared shirt and a dark tie. — The citizens’ group met with local MP Markus Campbell-Savours to discuss government assistance

The villagers are trying to reach a £250,000 target as part of a plan to take over and keep their only shop open.

The Hesket Newmarket Community Shop project in Cumbria has so far raised more than £210,000 since launching its fundraising appeal in June.

The current owner of the shop is retiring and the villagers would like to take it over as a community asset.

Citizens’ group chairwoman Philippa Groves said losing the store would be like “losing a vital lifeline”.

The group estimates the project would cost £500,000 and hopes to apply for funding for the other half from the Community Ownership Fund.

When Prince Charles, the King, visited the store in 2004 and 2007

HESKET NEWMARKET SHOP The King, who was then Prince Charles, wears a brown coat and talks to a woman in the shop in Hesket Newmarket — When Prince Charles, the King, visited the store in 2004 and 2007

When new elections were called in July, the future of the fund became unclear, the group said.

The organisation has secured the support of Markus Campbell-Savours, Labour MP for Penrith and Solway, who said: “We cannot underestimate the importance of community facilities like this.”

He said he would “put pressure on the government to get the Community Ownership Fund up and running as soon as possible.”

The shop also houses the village post office

Close-up of the shop interior with beer on the shelf and a post office sign on the wall — The shop also houses the village post office

Michelle Boundy, the group’s secretary, said: “There is a real sense of solidarity in the village.”

She added that they were “really confident” that their funding would be doubled.

Simon Hewitt, vice-chair of the group, said of the fundraising programme: “People can get involved according to their means and that is what a community project is all about.”

If the group is successful, one of the options being considered is to rent out one of the retail spaces to healthcare providers who would offer services such as vision tests.

Villagers say they would lose access to vital services if the store closes

Hesket Newmarket Community Shop Black and white image of a woman in the 1960s walking through the village with shopping bags in front of the shop — Villagers say they would lose access to vital services if the store closes

As well as being an important local resource, the store also has a royal connection, having been visited by the then Prince Charles in 2004 and 2007.

Ms Groves said the future king had been offered some pieces of cake for free, but insisted on paying for them as a reward for passengers on an upcoming helicopter flight.

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