Fundraising for the shop renovations began in earnest in February 2008, and by October we had reached our target of £80,000. This represents a lot of hard work from a large number of individuals. There were generous donations from several village organizations and local companies, and we were fortunately able to raise nearly £50,000 in grants, small and large.
Once the funds were raised, the building work began in December 2008 and this time many individuals, companies and organizations contributed with labour, equipment, favourable rates, and their expertise. The last few days saw a mad dash to the finish line of 21st March 2009, with all hands on deck! Teams of people helped with the final painting, shelf-stacking and last-minute preparations for the big day.
There were so many who contributed their time, talents and energy, as well as the 440-plus shareholders who in many cases added donations to their share fees, that we can’t possibly list them all here. However, without those individuals the project wouldn’t have gone ahead – so it’s one big THANKYOU to you all!