Community spirit keeps shop open

Harry Taylor (pictured right) officially opened the new-look community shop

Cotswold villagers have won a fight to keep their shop and post office - by taking it over and running it themselves.

Longborough's new-look community shop was officially opened on Saturday, 7 November, 2009 after a year-long campaign by locals and a £60,000 facelift.

Run by a team of volunteers, it's now more than twice its previous size and includes a café, off-licence and postal services three days a week.

Harry Taylor, chairman of the Longborough Community Shop Committee said "it's really the completion of a fantastic village success story" and is not just the village shop that they've turned around.

"A couple of years ago we saved our school which was threatened with closure and that's now thriving.

"Our pub was probably failing and that was taken over by two people in the village and is now totally transformed.

"We had a farm shop that had closed and has re-opened.

"The village shop re-launch just completes a village success story that shows the grit of the people of Longborough."

For those rural communities that face an unclear future over their post office, Harry hopes Longborough's success story sends out a message that community spirit is the key.

"There is plenty of advice out there," said Harry, "but the reality is that throughout the UK there are no more than 250 proper not-for-profit community-owned shops but it's very much a rising facility.

"There's plenty of help and guidance, and indeed money, out there if people go looking for it."