WINFORD Community Shop is at risk of closure unless a new owner can be found to buy the premises which are now up for sale.

The village shop and post office, on High Street, has operated for more than 50 years and for the last five years, it has been run by the community.

In that time it has grown into a successful not-for-profit business, employing one full-time and two part-time staff members, plus 30 regular volunteers who keep it going. The committee which runs it is determined to maintain what it describes as a “real community asset.”

The shop offers a variety of essential and non-essential items and serves as a friendly community hub. It’s especially important for many elderly residents helping them to stay connected to village life and shop independently, the committee says.

A spokesperson for the shop committee said: “If the community shop and post office has to close, then Winford will lose more than just a shop.

“It is a place for people to meet and connect with each other and provides help and support to those in need. It is a real community asset.”

The shop is rented from the owner and there is a vacant three-bedroomed cottage adjoining it.  Due to a change in family circumstances, the owner is selling the whole of the premises at auction in October. An investor is urgently needed to secure the future of the shop and post office.  

The people of Winford have said they would “prefer” the shop to remain under community ownership, but the primary objective is to maintain a shop and post office in the village. 

Prospective owners interested in running the shop as a commercial business are invited to discuss the opportunity with the current management.

The shop is currently a successful business and the management committee is willing to continue operating it in its current form if a buyer is interested in purchasing the premises.

The shop’s website states: “Our team of staff and volunteers would love to meet new customers and receive your suggestions for increasing sales. If you would like to help in any way please call in to the shop. Additional volunteers to work in the shop for just two hours a week would be particularly welcome.”

For information about the business, people can also contact the shop management committee at [email protected] or by phone at 07769 348705.