Encouraged by local custom (From Free Press Series)

Encouraged by local custom

WITH tales of village shops, pubs and post offices closing and all-too frequent part of modern rural life, two local communities are bucking the trend. Andy Sherwill reports...

IT WAS a case of back to the future for the communities of Brockweir and Hewlsfield as they attempted to stop their villages falling into decline - by deciding to build a new village shop.

And after three long years the long-held dream has now become a reality.

But this is no ordinary shop, it combines the best of traditional values with futuristic technology.

When the shop opened for business last week, it boasted a state of the art caf, an Information Technology suite and even an on-line library kiosk.

The construction of the building, which looks more like a barn, has also married traditional skills and craftsmanship with modern technology.

The building is constructed around a green oak frame and oak cladding from renewable local sources.

The roof is made up of Photovoltaic roof tiles, which produce the electricity to run the shop, and any excess will be sold onto the national grid.

The 270 sq m building is heated by a system that harvests the warmth from the ground under the adjacent football field and from the waste heat and energy produced by electrical appliances.

The shop is stocked with produce from many local rural food producers - food that has not been transported halfway around the country.

The local fare includes honey produced in St Briavels, cakes made in Coleford, meats, apple juice and even cider from Brockweir itself.

The £350,000 project was funded through villagers' own fund raising events, the purchase of shop bonds and a number of grants including £230,000 from DEFRA; £25,000 The Countryside Agency; and £5,000 Forest of Dean District Council.

Andre Larpent, chairman of the Village Shop Association, said: "The support from the local community has been fantastic and we now have a facility that will provide a local service for villagers for many years to come."

Press officer Juliana Fidler said: "It's a unique project that has captured the hearts of the whole community.

"The project shows that communities can buck the national trend of decline if they have enough enthusiasm to do something about it.

"Our project was very initiative and that is why so many larger organisations were keen to help us achieve our aim."

As much reclaimed material as possible has been used throughout the project, including the beech block flooring obtained from a Tax Office in Plymouth.

Many residents have had their name carved into the wood for posterity at a mere £10 - a unique way to remember the villagers of 2004!

The shop is run by 70-year-old Jean Tomlins who has come out of retirement to take on this new challenge and she is assisted by over 30 volunteers from the village.

On the upper floor is an IT suite for use by the local community. The Royal Forest of Dean College is currently running a ten-week computer workshop for beginners.

Gloucestershire Library Services have installed a Library Kiosk as part of a pilot scheme, making the library available at everyone's fingertips.

The shop opens between 7.30am and 7pm.