Since it has become clear that we will not be able to buy the Royal Oak in time to house the shop when the Village Stores closes at the end of December, we have come up with an interim solution to ensure that the village still has a shop while we pursue our goal of buying the Oak. Plunkett Foundation kindly referred us to the village of Broughton in Hampshire, who have been successfully running a shop out of a container for 18 months, but are about to move into their new building. They have agreed to let us take over their temporary Shop in a Box, and it should be being delivered here in early December. Ian and Karen have kindly offered to transfer their business to the box, and to train volunteers for a transitional period until the end of March, by which time we plan to run it as a purely community business.

Please let us know if you would be interested in volunteering. (We will also be looking for a paid shop manager.)

The cost of setting up the temporary shop will not be paid for out of HOTV funds, but will be directly funded, either by the PC or by donation.