Future of Blooming Fruity?

Blooming Fruity — a community owned shop?

Many of us were saddened to see that Blooming Fruity was up for sale. We felt sad for Sally and her staff but also sad for the village.

The shop has been an important social hub for many residents...and more recently the community is increasingly valuing a service where just can select just what you need, placed in a paper bag and with no prewrapped plastic, reducing food waste and single use plastic.

Concerned at the potential loss of this service to the village a few people have been talking about the potential for community Ownership. This would ensure the ongoing security of this important resource.

A meeting to discuss the potential for a community ownership scheme will take place at:

The Walter Rose Room, Haddenham Village Hall on Wednesday 11th May at 7pm.

What is a Community Shop?

Community shops are owned and run democratically by members of their community. They trade primarily for community benefit and their interests are linked into community control. Community shops have open and voluntary membership, whereby members are part owners of the business.

There are many models for managing a community shop and these will be explored at the meeting on the 11th May. Perhaps the most successful model is where a shop manager and a small number of staff are supported by a wide range of volunteers who contribute to the vibrancy of the shop and inject a range of skills and ideas.

Why a community shop?

A Community shop would be an effective way to safeguard this retail outlet but would also have wider social, economic and environmental benefits.

A community shop is more than a shop, it can become a community hub, staying open for long hours and able to host a wide range of services in addition to the core business.

As a result of the throughflow of customers, their volunteer base, membership meetings and task groups they stimulate social activity and help to create a sense of community.

This social environment can give people an opportunity to be involved in community life, create informal support networks, and for some people provide a sense of belonging, purpose and self-worth.

If you are interested in this idea and want to be kept informed please contact Greg Smith and ask for your email address to be added to the contact list: smith.poole@btinternet.com