8:00am Tuesday 9th February 2010
By Jess Childs
ONE of Herefordshire’s most picturesque villages is getting a new shop – and typically for Eardisland, the new store will be full of character.
The villagers have bucked the trend by bringing vital amenities back to life thanks to a £10,000 cash boost from the Co-operative Loan Fund.
Those behind a £30,000 effort to resurrect the village shop 10 years after its predecessor’s demise are using the money to transform its historic dovecote museum into a convenience store serving local needs.
Eardisland Community Shop Association member Albert Sheffield said the input was fundamental to the success of a scheme which would see all profits ploughed back into the community for the benefit of villagers.
“The support we have received from the Co-operative Loan Fund and organisations such as the Plunkett Foundation, Herefordshire Council and Eardisland Parish Council has proved invaluable and we are looking forward to starting work in the next few weeks in transforming part of the Dovecote into a sustainable business venture,” he said.
County businesses are being employed wherever possible to complete alterations by Easter, after which a wide range of products should be available alongside a tourist information centre and exhibition space already in operation.
The works will signal the end of an 18- month drive from locals keen to make the most of the village centre site, which was used by the lord of the manor to fatten up birds for extra meat in its day.
Ian Taylor, of the Co-operative Loan Fund, called it a “prime location” to serve residents and visitors alike.
“The community has demonstrated hard work and dedication to get the village shop to where it is today and, once work gets under way, local tradespeople, businesses and residents alike will all begin to feel the benefit of community ownership,”
he said.
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