| County | Kent, South East |
|---|---|
| Postcode | CT12 5JH |
| Opened | 2004 |
| Post Office | Yes |
| Legal | ViRSA IPS model rules |
| Premises | Village hall |
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One day in February I returned home to be told that the phone had not stopped! A planning application had been made to demolish our last shop, incorporating a Post Office, newsagents and general store….to build a bungalow. As Chairman of the Village Residents Association, I soon realised that there was significant support for action, both to fight the planning application and to investigate alternative ways to maintain these important services. On that Friday afternoon I contacted Kent Rural Community Council, who I knew had an interest in village shops, and within a couple of hours Sean Carter of ViRSA was on the line laying out the options. Little did I realise the long, hard but very enjoyable road that lay ahead.
Despite our best efforts objecting to the planning application, we were ultimately defeated and forced to take the alternative action that we had been planning in parallel. Together with Sean and the Post Office we had decided that a storage area in the village hall would be suitable for conversion. Within our hastily formed shop committee there were many different views about how we could ask for money from the villagers and the speed and which we could move; but time was short. One Sunday a notice informing villagers of the need for promises of money was composed, printed and distributed to the 800 houses in the village. We then waited for the responses. We were pleased, but there just weren’t enough! A long phone conversation between myself and Sean ended in him saying that it was imply our decision; we could stop now or go door knocking and basically it was down to me! (HELP!)
Two days and sleepless nights later someone suggested that we stand outside of the village hall during the day of the election and ask for promises. We arranged a rota, manned a table in wind, sun and rain, collected promises and the way ahead was set. However, there was till one major hurdle; even if we were successful with the money and the Village Hall Management Committee – we needed someone to run the Post Office! Luck was on our side. A relief postmistress called into the local garage for a scratch card, heard of our dilemma and the rest, you may say is history.
Rapidly a meeting was called to agree to form an Industrial Provident Society and Sean was on hand to explain that we were not going into this blind but with the support of people who have had to tread this road before. Meetings to agree exactly what the Hall Management Committee would allow, what we could afford in rent, grants available and to appoint Harsha Zala as out Post Mistress took place on a really hectic evening; with groups of people in various parts of the hall and Sean and myself moving from one to the other. Forty days later, the Post Office and small shop opened!
Those forty days were interesting to put it mildly and the phone calls, emails and letters took over the lives of Jim and myself (an I held down a full-time job!). A lot of the promised money, together with a lot that had not been promised, came in over a period of three weeks and then people went door knocking. This raised over £3,000! We received a grant from KRCC/Thanet Community Development Company and with the support of a loan from the Residents Association, we managed to keep just ahead of ourselves financially. The total cost of the project is about £5,500. A locksmith volunteered to help and the shelving was donated by a local company.
Although we thought that the majority of our work would be over by the opening, we still have forms and letters to deal with.
If has been a road with a steep learning curve, which has led to interesting conversations with villagers and a number of authorities, without whom none of this would have been possible; but it has been worthwhile and the result is a Post Office and shop, well used by the community, where we are greeted with a smile and are made to feel welcome. Now we just have to raise the money for the extension…………..
Article from Talking Shop, November 2001. Contribution from Vera Verhoven, Chairman of Cliffsend Village Residents Association.
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