'Vital' community shop celebrates 20 years

A volunteer-run village shop which locals have called a "vital part of the community" is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Urchfont Community Shop was opened in 2005 by people in the village, near Devizes in Wiltshire, following the closure of the local butchers and Post Office.

The shop is holding a tea party on Sunday 29 June where around 100 villagers will come together to mark 20 years since it opened.

"We do laugh because we could almost write a book about the things people talk about in the shop," said manager Steph Czakalo. "People come in and really love to have a chat".

The shop was a product of "years of hard work" by a small group of villagers who rallied together when the Post Office closed in 2002.

"The first thing we did was try to establish whether the village actually wanted a shop then we recruited around 54 volunteers that we trained up," resident Paul Bancroft told BBC Radio Wiltshire.

"I think it's absolutely magnificent, and the shop has matured hugely."

Ms Czakalo started volunteering at the shop after she moved to the area around 10 years ago.

"I think it was one of the reasons why I wanted to move to Urchfont, because there's not many villages where you can find a pub and a lovely shop and a great community," she said.

"We've tried to make it something special for all the villagers. They can pop in and buy things or we'll deliver to them.

"If somebody's stuck at home and they can't get out, we can pop their supplies round."

The shop holds regular coffee mornings which villagers say gives them a chance to connect.

"We've been coming here a long time, I love the coffee hub," said resident Alison Taylor.

"I've been coming I think practically since it started. You can walk up here on your own and meet loads of friends.

"It's a vital part of the community."

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