PROGRESS is being made with plans for a community shop in Kilve to replace the village stores and Post Office which closed in February of last year.

The community shop committee is working to set up the infrastructure needed to move forward and has applied for a charitable status bank account and registration with HMRC so it can reclaim VAT.

It wants to site the building in Christopher Robin Park, next to the village hall car park, and has met parish councillors to show them how it would look and submitted a written request for approval of the siting.

Committee chairman Jim Morris said: “We are compiling a list of possible funders, and assessing which are most likely to accept a funding request.

“We are planning the community share offer that we hope residents will support.”

A meeting has also been held with neighbouring with Holford Parish Council to explain the plans and members were pleased with the interest and support shown.

The committee now also has a website where villagers can find information regarding the shop project.

Mr Morris said: “We have prepared our share issue document and this along with the business plan can be found on our website.

“The sale of shares in the village shop will open on Monday, June 1.

“The shares will cost £1 each.

“You can buy a minimum of 10 shares (£10), up to a maximum of 3,000 shares, ie, a maximum investment of £3,000.

“Regardless of the number of shares owned, each member will have an equal right to vote at each annual members’ meeting on how the shop is run and will also be eligible to vote and stand for election for the management committee.

“Our target is to raise £20,000.

“There are many good reasons for people to invest in this project, being part of a community and helping to support the community was the reason I got involved.

“Full details of the share offer are on the website with details of how to apply.”

Mr Morris said the committee had also applied to the Somerset Community Partnership for a grant of £50,000, and to the Fairfield Trust for £22,000.

He said: “We expect that these grants will only be released if we can raise £20,000 through the share issue.

“We are pleased to report also that the Kilve Stock and Barrel committee have kindly included us in their list of charities to support.”

Kilve Stock and Barrel 2026 is also raising funds for the district nursing service in Williton Hospital, and for Kilve Cricket Club.

The shop will be run as a community benefit society with open membership through the share purchase, democratic governance, and an asset lock.

The committee is also looking beyond the retail side of the project and also aim to strengthen community resilience, reduce isolation, and create future surplus that can support local projects.

A village survey found 80 per cent of residents were supportive of the project and 29 per cent were prepared to volunteer to help.