Community shop opening in Northamptonshire after village residents were 'isolated' during Covid-19 pandemic

The manager of the shop will be a Ukrainian refugee who came to the UK two months ago
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A new shop is opening in a Northamptonshire village after an “overwhelming demand” among the community.

Skittles Community Shop is set to open in Walgrave this Friday (July 22) after seven weeks of hard work to renovate where it will be based.

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Parish Councillor Narinder Hammond, who has co-directed the project with Councillor Neil Gibbs, said: “We reached out to the community to see whether there was the demand and the response was overwhelming.”

Skittles Community Shop is set to open in Walgrave this Friday (July 21) after seven weeks of hard work to renovate where it will be based.Skittles Community Shop is set to open in Walgrave this Friday (July 21) after seven weeks of hard work to renovate where it will be based.
Skittles Community Shop is set to open in Walgrave this Friday (July 21) after seven weeks of hard work to renovate where it will be based.

Cllr Hammond has lived in the village for eight years and noticed the isolation residents experienced during the pandemic, which inspired the idea of creating a shop – and it was put forward last October, four months after she became a parish councillor.

The concept is to “bring people together” and create a “community hub”.

After the village pub was taken over by new landlords, it was agreed the shop would be located in its outbuilding.

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As the councillors needed funds to rent the space and buy stock, the business was set up as a ‘community interest company’ – designed to be not-for-profit and any excess funds raised will be donated to community projects.

The first set of funding they received for the “invaluable project” was from the Walgrave Parish Council.

They also received funding from West Northamptonshire Council, but the plan was put on hold until they had built up enough money to cover rent and stock for a while.

However, after the response from the Walgrave community, Cllr Hammond says it was a “no-brainer” to move quicker towards the opening.

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She said: “It blew my mind that it had grown into something much bigger.

“Locals were offering their time and materials, including paint, carpet, a freezer - and the pub very kindly said we could hold off on rent for a couple of months to build up funds.”

“Everyone in the village is talking about their excitement for the opening” and residents have been “desperate” for somewhere like this to emerge.

There are hopes the shop will turn into a community hub as it will house a coffee machine and will eventually have seating outside for people to meet. It is in a particularly good location for those doing the school run, says Cllr Hammond.

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It is all about “integrating” people into the community, and one important person who will be getting to know the village very well is the newly-appointed shop manager, Iryna - a Ukrainian refugee who moved to the UK two months ago with her son.

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Iryna lives with a host family in Walgrave and was very keen to take on the role, which she started last Monday.

Cllr Hammond said: “She will be a very important person in the community, and she is so eager to get her teeth into everything and make the place her own.”

Iryna will be the only paid member of staff, but the shop will be sustained by a team of volunteers to support her.

The launch event is taking place on July 21 from 3.30pm, and from then on will be open 8am until 7pm on weekdays and 8am until 2pm on weekends.

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