East Boldre Community Stores
Our Objective
With all of the other feasible options for our community shop exhausted, when the Baptist chapel came onto the market in August 2022 it offered a one-off opportunity for premises.
It offers the best solution of all the options considered over the last 5 years.
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This locally listed building gets a new community purpose.
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It offers spacious premises, very similar in size to Woodgreen community shop.
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It is centrally located, provides scope for off - road parking and the 'Vestry'offers a flexible community space for shop events, workshops (IT, bike repairs) etc.
We aim to be trading in October 2023
Invitation to Tender
With planning permission granted on 8th Feb 2023 we are now in the process of selecting our main contractor and other key suppliers (solar, damp treatment, car park, hall demolition).
We would welcome building companies to get in touch via email if they are interested in quoting for the works for an initial discussion.
We can then provide a copy of our specification to formally quote against
To understand the scope of our proposal please view our planning application here.
Progress
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We expect to complete on the chapel purchase before 12/5/23.
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Transfer of the Post Office Contract has been initiated.
Funding Status
Target = £725,867
Achieved = £600,086
Still to Secure = £125,800
Sunday 14th May
9:30
the Chapel
Your truly amazing response means we have now signed up all the help we need.
There will be plenty of chances to get involved in future
The 'Chapel Stores' Project
The chapel, built in 1844, sits on a 1/4 acre site along with a modern 1990’s hall. There are 480 unmarked graves onsite that our plans leave undisturbed.
We'll repair and renovate the chapel, fixing the rising damp, treating woodworm and removing asbestos from the premises.
The main chapel space will be fitted out and equipped as the retail area with the old vestry providing a social space for shop events, workshops and 'home working' . We'll also use this space for a permanent exhibition of the chapel's history and residents' memories of it in its former role.
The kitchen will provide a food prep area and its roof will be repaired. The hall will be demolished to make way for a car park that would provide off road parking and turning space.
Native trees and hedging will improve the street scene and improve the site's biodiversity.
A solar system with battery storage will halve our electricity costs.
Once Trading
While we are a not-for-profit organisation we need to ensure we are financially viable. If we grow the business we can keep our margins and, therefore, prices lower.
We will provide employment for 2 staff to cover the planned opening hours. They will be supported by a team of volunteers to share the workload and add to the friendly feel of the shop.
By keeping a shop and Post Office in the village, we reduce car journeys across the forest for convenience items, banking and postal services. The larger space will allow us to offer a broader range of goods and services with wide, accessible aisles.
Why It Matters
Our village shop and Post Office provides vital postal services, banking, bill payment, key top-ups as well as groceries. While a convenience for many it is particularly important for the 10% of households with no car given the village's very limited bus service.
During the early days of the pandemic it was the only village amenity that stayed open. As well as innovatively finding ways to keep the shelves stocked, it acted as a rallying point for the community and a hub for volunteers.
Over the years our village school, its two other shops, doctors surgery, youth clubs, a football club and a lunch club have closed leaving the shop as an important focal point in our community.
Now the last shop and its Post Office is under threat of closure as the owner wants to retire from the long hours running the business entails.
Over the last 5 years and we have invested a huge amount of time and energy in pursuing various local options for a site for our shop. This has not been an easy task as our village borders restricted Crown grazing land and local house prices are high.
The chapel presents a last and one-off opportunity for our community shop premises.