| County | Gloucestershire, South West |
|---|---|
| Postcode | GL54 5RP |
| Opened | 2001 |
| Post Office | Yes |
| Legal | IPS cooperative |
| Premises | Previous shop |
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Temple Guiting village, situated in the heart of the North Cotswolds is equidistant from Sow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water and Tewkesbury with Cheltenham some twelve miles to the south. The natural catchment area for the village contains two hundred households and a thriving primary school. The area is affluent with a high proportion of owner occupancy. The only shop in the village is centrally placed and owned by a landlord who has the interests of the village at heart.
Despite this the shop has not had a happy recent past. In February 2000 the Post Office was closed but the tenants remained in occupation. Carole Mardon of ViRSA was contacted by “The Friends of Temple Guiting” and with her help they formed a shop association. Village meetings in October and December agreed the action plan and raised the necessary capital. The business plan was prepared and the association was registered as an Industrial and Provident Society to give it a legal structure and to protect the interests of the village people who contributed to the project.
The Post Office reopened on 22 February 2001 and the shop the following Monday. Newspapers and fresh bread were added to the stock list on March 1st, just one year after the initial village meeting and four months after the previous tenants departed. In their third week the shop is taking on average £150 a day and is stocked with a high proportion of fresh local produce. They are carrying over 500 lines in just over 250 square feet and are looking to increase takings by one third by the end of the year.
None of this would have been possible without the perseverance and single mindedness of the shop association to overcome all the negatives. Some of these still exist. There are people who even now will not come into the shop; seemingly they do not believe it will succeed so do not use it.
Article from Talking Shop, April 2001
01451 850250