Villagers rally together to open community shop

Karen Bennett said they had found a site for the shop, but needed £60,000 for it to open

Residents are working together to open a community shop in a Cornish village ahead of the closure of the local Post Office and store.

In July, residents of the village of Harrowbarrow in east of Cornwall created a community group to look for ideas of how to replace what has been a community hub for more than 100 years.

The Post Office operates from the ground floor of the owners' house and they plan to turn the premises back into a residential property when they retire in 2025.

Karen Bennett, Harrowbarrow and Metherell Community Shop Group chair, said they had found a site for the shop, but needed £60,000 for it to open.

"I don't think my feet have touched the ground, we've had meeting after meeting, and we have a great team of people with loads of skills," she said.

"We've got to a point where we've got a site and now we can really run... and hopefully open in time."

The owners of the Harrowbarrow Post Office have been running the business for the past 25 years

The Post Office owners plan to close it at the end of August 2025.

"We hope to open on 1 September so the clock is ticking," said Mrs Bennett.

"The next step is looking at building, construction, potentially a container or a portable cabin of some sort.

"We have a rough figure of about £60,000 that we need to raise, which is quite a big ask."

Callum McGinley said he was excited about the prospect of a community shop

Mrs Bennett said: "As a community, it's so much more than a shop for us and that's really the essence of why we want to have something.

"People meet, have a chat, they might not see anybody all day, that's their one opportunity to speak to somebody and it's so valuable when you're in the middle of nowhere."

Mrs Bennett added: "My family have lived in the village forever and all of my family have been to the shop.

"I would like that when I'm old and cant leave the village, I want to be able to go to my village shop still."

Villagers have rallied together to get involved with the community shop plans

Callum McGinley, who is on the fundraising committee for the shop, said: "I'm really excited about the prospect of a community shop.

"I believe it's really important for villagers.

"The fact I can volunteer here is an opportunity to give back to the community."

Gavin Short, who is on the events committee for the shop, said money would be raised by fundraising, events and a community share programme.