MORE than 100 villagers banded together to use people power to save their local shop.

Penhow residents each gave a minimum £50 unsecured loan towards the running and refurbishment of the village shop - despite knowing they might not get it back.

When the post office inside the shop opposite the Groes Wen Inn closed earlier this year, the previous shopkeeper could no longer make a living.

But the residents of Parc Seymour and the surrounding villages in Penhow were determined to save it and decided to run it themselves, raising the £7,600 needed to lease the building and buy stock.

More than 100 Penhow villagers paid a £50 unsecured loan with some even paying more which they will hopefully get back in five years.

The scheme is monitored by the Village Retail Services Association under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act regulated by the Financial Services Association.

Funding also came through donations from Penhow Community Council, the local Women’s Institute and Wentwood ladies group.

After a series of public meetings and two months of hard work to get the shop ready, the Penhow Village Shop opened for business on Tuesday.

The ribbon was cut by the village’s oldest resident, 94-year-old Mervyn Rice.

One of the main organisers, Allan Petty, said it was a really successful and busy day with around 50 people coming into the shop. He said the store is on its sales target at the moment.

The shop is run by 50 volunteers including lawyers, accountants, retired steelworkers, and surveyors, who do an average of two hours each week in shifts of two.

The volunteers range in age from people in their thirties to people in their eighties.

Local shop fitters fitted out the store for free.

Mr Petty, 64, said they have listened to what people in the community want from their village shop by surveying almost 100 local residents.

Mr Petty said the shop has created lots more conversation with people getting to know other villagers and coming to the shop just to chat.

Robin Fehler, who has lived in Penhow for 28 years, said it would be a testing time in the next few months.

He said: “We’ve got to keep the enthusiasm going and hopefully we will.”

Locals Jilly Appleby and Mo Hemingway had their first shift at the shop on Wednesday morning .

Mrs Appleby said: “The support has been brilliant. It’s just what the community needed. It’s going to be the hub of the community for everyone to use.”

  • The shop sells organic and fairtrade foods as well as the normal necessities such as milk, bread and newspapers.

Mr Petty, a former company director, said they are keen to sell locally produced food such as Ben’s Bakes cakes from Raglan and butter from the Wye Valley, and eggs from local farmers.