A community shop has opened its doors to the public after a successful campaign.
Kirkoswald Community Shop is welcoming shoppers under the new community ownership after villagers from Kirkoswald in the Eden Valley rallied round to save their shop from closure following the death of the owner last year.
As the only shop serving the community, residents set about launching a campaign to rescue it in April.
In just seven weeks they not only met but exceeded their ambitious £200,000 target by raising £205,000 through a community share offer which invited people to purchase shares in the shop.
There are now more than 600 people who own a piece of the village shop.
Ruth Anderson MBE, chairwoman of the management committee, said: “When we launched our campaign we had no idea of the interest and support we would receive from people wanting to play their part in keeping our shop open.
“Through community ownership we have been able to secure the future of this vital community asset and we’re looking forward to serving our local community.”
She added “We would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the campaign from volunteers to shareholders to organisations who have awarded us grants. We would not have achieved this without your support and are delighted that so many people are part of our story!”
Kirkoswald Community Shop is run by a manager and a dedicated group of volunteers. It offers not only a place to buy groceries, but also a hub for the community and an amenity for tourists.
