| County | Stirlingshire, Scotland |
|---|---|
| Postcode | FK8 3RW |
| Opened | 1998 |
| Post Office | Yes |
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8am - 5pm Monday to Saturday
9am - 1pm on Sunday
9am - 1pm Monday to Friday
There has been a post office in Gartmore since 1826. There were several shops comprising two grocers, a baker, a tailor, a blacksmith, a joiner and a shoemaker. In addition there were various vans selling meat, fish and fruit that came every day in the week.
There is now only one shop in the village, which incorporates the Post Office. It is a licensed general store selling groceries, newspapers, cigarettes and sundries.
This long tradition of trading in Gartmore nearly ended in 1997 when the shop was put on the market. When no buyer came forward, planning permission was granted to allow the then owner to turn the shop back into a house. A meeting called at the end of October brought more than 100 concerned villagers together to discuss their ideas of how to save the shop. After this a committee was formed, and many hours of discussion later it was decided to ask residents to buy shares in what was now to be a Community Shop. There was impressive support and a substantial sum was raised.
It was realised that the shop was eligible for funding from the European Regional Development Fund Leader II and after a successful application sufficient grant money was received which, when added to the share capital, enabled the village to buy the shop. It began trading as a Community Shop on 8th January 1998.
Gartmore Community Shop is run by a full-time salaried Manager and supported by a voluntary management committee of 8 members.
The Gartmore Village Shop is the first winner in the new community business section of the Calor Scottish Community of the Year Awards.
The awards - which are in their sixth year - were presented at a ceremony in Edinburgh on Tuesday, November 25, 2003 by the Minister of Communities, Margaret Curran MSP.
"The new community business award was introduced to coincide with the addition of Scottish Business in the Community to the awards team," commented Gavin Tomlinson, Communications Manager Calor Scotland. "Angus MacDougall of SBC has joined the judging panel adding valuable expertise.
"The new award complements the existing Business Section of the awards by focusing directly on community managed businesses."
The Gartmore Village Shop is the only shop within six miles of the community, when the shop was threatened a public meeting was called and more than a quarter of the whole population attended. The result of the meeting was the formation of a not for profit organisation with 30,000 £1 shares which are owned by community members.
"The Gartmore shop is an excellent example of the community coming together to address a local issue, " continues Gavin. The shop is a significant success and it is now making a profit that is reinvested in the community. The shareholders now receive a dividend in the form of vouchers which can be spent in the shop. This is a model which the judges strongly believe other communities could learn from as it protects local amenities and ensures that the community can influence its own future."
Article from http://www.prpartnership.co.uk/COY/pressofficewin03.htm
November 25, 2003
The Gartmore Village Shop is a convenience store that sells groceries, home-baking, off-licence beverages, organic produce, newspapers and pharmaceutical products, as well as providing a video rental service and post-office facilities.
The community has run the shop since January 1998. The previous owners wanted to sell the property with the possibility of a residential development. However, the local people were concerned about the possible loss of the village shop and set up a committee to explore their options. A feasibility study was carried out by 8 people from the sub-committee to canvas local opinion on the community-purchase of the shop. Of the 250 adult villagers, 130 subsequently bought shares in a community co-operative.
Gartmore Village Shop has a full-time manager, six part-time staff, four paperboys and a volunteer who works one day a week.
CWS (Co-operative Wholesale Society) provided a loan enabling the purchase of stock whilst the Post Office provided advice. The community set up a Private Company Limited by guarantee, with a 10% cap on dividends if the shop showed an annual profit.
Initially there were minor problems running the shop as the community learnt on their feet. For example, there was a trade-off between opening times and cost effectiveness, what to stock in the shop versus wastage levels.
The area has a relatively broad demographic makeup and the shop is especially important for elderly and single parents within the community who may have restricted opportunity to access the nearest alternative shops. The Post Office is also essential for those receiving income support, benefits or pensions. Moreover, it serves as a pick-up point for doctor''s prescriptions. The shop notice boards also serve as a valuable local information resource.
The shop has had made a small profit during each of the last 3 years and this year, for the first time, paid a dividend to shareholders for the first time. 5% of each member''s shareholding is paid by means of a shop voucher - 130 villagers currently own a total of 31,000 worth of shares - between 25 & 2,000 each, that is, whatever each person could afford at the start.
The last loan was paid off this year and the shop and Post Office have expanded the available services every year, for example, this year opening hours were increased, a switch facility was installed and a community PC providing villagers with internet access. Moreover, the Post Office will soon be investing in a partial building refurbishment to improve the layout and structure of the shop and post services available.
Article from http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2003/09/18163/26184