ViRSA supports rural communities wanting to set up and run a community owned shop. We provide practical assistance through this website, a network of community retail advisers, a national office and various publications.Community ownership is often the only viable option for villages wishing to retain or introduce a local shop. ViRSA is a national charity dedicated to supporting villages wishing to provide this service.
ViRSA expertise is also used to carry out research and development projects on behalf of government and other organisations.
We are developing a directory of all community owned shops in England, Scotland and Wales.