Proposed Morwenstow Community Shop
Welcome to a group investigating the feasibility of raising funds to buy the current shop in Morwenstow and create a Community Shop & Café. In order to make our Community Shop a reality we need to raise £350,000 to enable the purchase of the existing Furze Stores and stock.
Morwenstow Community Shop will be owned and run by the community, for the community. To make it a reality, we will need to raise funds through the sale of community shares. Each share has a value of £1 and we are asking people to consider purchasing a minimum of 50 (fifty) shares, available in increments of 50. The maximum allowed is 35,000. Alternatively, you may prefer to make a donation. Every share bought, however large or small, will bring us one step closer to opening our doors.
By subscribing for shares issued by the Morwenstow Community Benefit Society in the eventual share offer, you will become a member of that Society. The Society is a community-owned social enterprise made up of members and as a member you will get a vote on matters affecting the shop, you will be able to stand for election to the Management Committee and you will have a say in how profits can be invested into local community projects in the future.
This is your chance to have a real stake in something that will benefit everyone in the parish — from families doing their weekly shop to older residents who rely on having local facilities close to home.
Our aim is to create a warm, welcoming space at the heart of our community - a place to shop, meet, volunteer, learn and connect.
Follow our page for updates, opportunities to get involved, and ways to support this community-led project.
Together we can build something special for Morwenstow.
To our Morwenstow Community
We are very grateful to everyone who has supported us in many ways. However, despite our best efforts, the final figure of £80,945 from 85 pledges is not enough for us to continue with our plans to buy Furze Stores. We always knew that this was a big ask and have informed Wendy of our decision.
Our plans for a community shop and hub would have been a great benefit for the residents of Morwenstow and its visitors. Improving the environment was also important in our plans, as there would have been fewer car journeys, a refill service and a repair café.
We are confident that, had we been able to purchase Furze Stores, the business would have been successful. This confidence is underpinned by reviews from three independent businesses including Plunkett UK & Resonance.
We believe that Morwenstow needs a local shop and that a hub and café would provide access to many services not available or easily accessed here, thereby providing a better quality of life for us all. We remain committed to our aims and engaging with local organisations to that end. Other opportunities may arise so we will continue as a group, retaining our research and plans. Suggestions as to how our goals could be achieved are welcome and you can contact us here or by clicking on the button below.
A huge THANK YOU to those of you who have shared our vision and supported us.
Mary Whibley on behalf of the proposed Morwenstow Community Shop committee.