Community urged to back East Boldre shop plans for former Baptist church

EAST Boldre residents are being urged to help fund ambitious plans to transform a former Baptist church into a new community shop.

As reported, a group of residents have joined forces to develop £660,000 plans to purchase the former church building on Chapel Lane for use as a community shop, post office and bicycle repair facility.

Through an initiative launched yesterday (Friday), the committee is trying to raise £200,000 by selling shares to the community worth between £15 and £15,000.

Three drop-in information sessions will be held at East Boldre village hall tomorrow between 11am and midday; on Friday 27th from 7pm to 8pm; and on Saturday 11th February between 11am and 1pm.

Resident Rebecca Gabzdyl said: “A group of villagers is spearheading the campaign to keep a shop and post office and save the heart of the village.

“In living memory, East Boldre had a butcher, a baker and a grocer. Now the only remaining shop, which is also the local post office, is under threat of closure as the owner wishes to retire.”

The committee has previously faced a series of setbacks after a scheme to extend the village hall fell through due to complications with developing on Forest grazing land, as did a plan to buy the existing shop after the current owner decided to use it as a home.

Describing the Baptist church plans as a “once in a lifetime” chance to establish a community-run business in community-owned premises, the committee is now urging residents to support the scheme by taking shares out.

It is estimated that the total cost of taking on the site, including building works, shop fit, equipment and other project costs, will run to around £660,000. This will be financed by a £200,000 share offer scheme; £299,000 from a government Community Ownership Fund (COF) and £160,000 from other grants from the district and county council, Lottery and other sources.

A committee spokesperson said: “By buying shares you become the owners of East Boldre’s community shop, and have a say in how it is run.”

The minimum purchase is one share for £15 and the maximum is 1,000 shares for £15,000.

All shareholders have an equal say regardless of their investment and it is hoped the community ownership model will foster customer loyalty.

As well as raising vital funds for the project, the share scheme is a key part of grant aid applications as it demonstrates the project has community backing.

East Boldre Community Stores treasurer Mike Hawker said: “As the shares are £15 each it is hoped that people will feel able to buy at least one.

“To meet our challenging but, we believe, achievable target for the share offer of £200,000, clearly we need most people to buy more than one share and for some, to buy substantially more.”

For more information visit www.eastboldrecommunitystores.com