Campaign Update
We know that the ‘Save our Shop’ headline for the funding campaign was emotive but we felt it only right to flag up the Shop’s position, like so many other both retail and community shops in the present climate.
The funding campaign is about helping us to cover the costs of key initiatives, projects and emergency expenses in order to secure the future of the Shop and we need your support to enable us to do so. You may have noticed that, with this in mind, we have already started to implement changes. Our media presence is increasing, our local supplier list is expanding, we are hosting more shop produce events, providing an increasing list of shop services and facilities and recruiting volunteers with specific skill sets. As a Community Interest Company, we enjoy access to grants for capital expenditure and we utilise this source of funding wherever possible – we already have several equipment upgrade projects planned, which we would like to carry out, if and when funds permit.
We have been working closely with the Plunkett Foundation – a community shops support organisation. They conducted a warts and all business review. Their detailed report rated the Shop as ‘Very Good’ for our work to date and future plans. They have made recommendations across a wide range of areas and many of these fit into and boost our already started forward-looking initiatives and projects. As always, we have been beavering away behind the scenes on forecasting, margins, supply chains, logistics and financial planning.
Ropley has had a Village Shop since 2006. It has been at the centre of the village in bad winters, when we were iced or snowed in but never more so than during the pandemic, when it provided a lifeline especially for the elderly and the vulnerable. We helped hundreds of people via home deliveries and more. As a village resource and a community hub, the Shop has been and remains an invaluable asset. We have been much encouraged by the very speedy and positive response already received in answer to our request for funding.
So, as you can see, the shop is NOT on the brink of closing but we really do need your help to enable us to bring about the long-term positive changes to secure the Shop’s future.
AUTUMN EVENTS – ROPLEY COURTYARD SHOP
September 27th: Beer-tasting and Hot Dogs 5pm – 7:30pm
Put it in your diary with an alert! Explore the Flower Pot range and soak it all up with hot dogs. If you’ve not sampled their ales, this is your chance to remedy that. Tickets will be on sale shortly. More details to follow so keep an eye out in-store and on our website and Facebook pages.
September 20th St. Peter’s Autumn Fair Come and visit our stall, showcasing the best of our local produce, cards and gifts selection and so much more.
October 16th: Annual Open Meeting (Ropley Sports Pavilion) – 7 for 7.30 pm start
Come and hear how The Courtyard is doing, future plans and how you can help. Ask questions, make suggestions, give us your feedback.
New Products
- Emma Bridgewater Designs stationery including cards, wrap, bags and tags.
- Do Goodly Dips: we will be selling the terrific trio of Mighty Beetroot Borani, Smashed Pea Guacamole and Roasted Red Pepper. These plant-powered vegan friendly & gluten-free dips have no horrible fillers and we recommend apple, cucumber, carrot and red pepper sticks for some serious dunking. Or you can spread them on toast or, try using them as a base for a sauce or salad dressing …
- Teoni’s large seriously crunchy chocolate-dipped cookies – need we say more.
HALF-TERM 19th October – 3rd November
Rest assured, we’ll have new activity sheets for Kids Corner in the Tack Room and plentiful supplies of hot chocolate, coffee and tea along with delicious cakes to ensure parent or grandparent restoration. The Shop has a great range to help you get the kids baking as well as basic craft supplies. Come and take refuge.
CLOCKS BACK 27th October
Relish the feeling of waking up and realising you’ve got an extra hour in bed by remembering to put your clocks back.
HALLOWEEN
Be prepared for trick or treaters – the Shop will be piled high with Halloween sweets for you to dole out to any visitors of a gruesome nature. We also have coloured tissue paper for costumes and decorations. Beware, stock sells out fast!
HOW CAN YOU HELP OUR VILLAGE SHOP?
VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Shop and we always need more pairs of hands – be that working in the Shop, fundraising, making a donation, Shop maintenance, IT, event planning, PR, gardening or just coming up with ideas. We need support in many areas, not just behind the till. The health benefits of volunteering are well documented so come and see us in the Shop and be part of our friendly team.
SHOP LOCAL
We are a community-based enterprise whose whole ethos is about providing both a shop and services, eg collecting prescriptions, a community hub, a post office.
MONEY
We accept cash, debit and credit cards. Cash is king for small businesses, followed by debit cards and then credit cards.
STANDING ORDER DONATIONS
We know not everyone uses the Shop but wishes to maintain a shop in the village. One way of supporting the Shop is via a standing order donation. The advantage of this is you have control and can amend it as needed. If you would like to set one up, please call in at the Shop or email ropleyshop@gmail.com and we will pass you all the information you need.
Our village shop and post office are a mainstay of the village. Run by friendly, helpful staff and an army of volunteers, we’d love to welcome you in there soon.
Visit us www.ropleycourtyardshop.com or www.myropley.org.uk
Email us at: ropleyshop@gmail.com
Call us: 01962 773666 (Shop) or 01962 773190 (PO)
Follow us: on Facebook Ropley Courtyard Shop