A new shop has opened in a small North Yorkshire village – providing a social hub for both the local community and visitors.
With the imminent loss of East Cowton shop and post office, local residents from the village and surrounding area decided to take action. They joined forces to raise funds to save the shop – forming Cowton Community Enterprise Ltd to take it forward.
And with the help of an £8,000 from Hambleton District Council’s ‘Making a Difference Fund’ the company bought a portacabin as a temporary home for the new shop – siting it on land shared by the parish council and village hall.
The shop is open seven days a week and a café open on Friday afternoons when the pop up Post Office calls. The café is proving really popular and it is hoped to increase its opening hours in the near future.
“This new facility is the social hub for the community – for all ages,” said District Councillor and local resident, Stephen Watson.
“Being open seven days a week means our older residents can have interaction on a daily basis – and we can provide essential supplies without people having to get in their cars to fetch them. And we can also cater for our visitors – particularly the cycling groups who regularly pass through our community.
“This is a very exciting venture for East Cowton.”
- Cash for the Making a Difference scheme comes from an ongoing cost savings that councillors are reinvesting into the local community. Each scheme must meet one of the council’s key priorities – supporting economic growth, improving health and wellbeing, improving access to services and supporting a changing population. And each must show that there is community involvement and represents value for money.