Village shop chills out

May 22 2009 by Donald Morton, Stirling Observer Friday

GARTMORE’S unique Community Shop has had a timely cash boost after one of its old freezers broke down and ruined its stock.

Thanks to a £1000 grant from O2’s “It’s Your Community” programme, it has been able to purchase three new chill cabinets which are essential to the future sustainability of the shop.

The community shop was established in 1998, when under threat of closure the residents of Gartmore rallied round and raised the necessary cash to match fund a grant to buy it. It’s the last surviving community shop on mainland Scotland.

Helen Webster, a member of the management committee, said: “We are so delighted to have been funded with this much needed grant. Since applying for the award, we have had a catastrophe with one of our old freezers breaking down and we lost all of our stock.

“But thankfully, we have been able to swiftly replace this freezer and our other two ageing chill cabinets.

“The shop is vital for the 400 local residents who live here and whilst turnover is consistent, there is just not enough spare cash to replace broken or old equipment. This grant is a lifeline for us.”

Paul McCullaugh, national acquisition manager for O2, added: “This is a fantastic project and I’m delighted ‘It’s Your Community’ has been able to get involved.

“It was created to recognise projects just like Gartmore’s Community Shop and helps to maintain local facilities for the benefit of the whole community. We want to build a network of projects across the country that collectively makes a difference.”

Awards from £100 to £1000 are available for ideas which benefit the community or build community spirit. The programme has now given more than £1.2million to 1500 community projects across the UK.

To find out more information, or to apply for an O2 award, log on to www.itsyourcommunity.co.uk .