Where are we now....
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With less than 5 weeks to go, if we are to open for trading on 24th March, we need to get the last few things in place. The Telephone, Water and Intruder alarm are all connected. The electricity will be complete in the next few days. The Air Con unit has been set up and working and the shelving is all ready for stock. The committee are busy talking to suppliers of stock, setting up training days for volunteers and a host of other tasks needed before we can open.
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The Shop has arrived
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The cabin has been transported from Frensham in Surrey to Kingsbury Recreation Ground. Now the hard work begins to re-assemble the shelving, paint the outside and generally get it ready for trading.
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These are the plans for siting a temporary village shop on the Rec. Planning permission has been applied for. We are just waiting for the outcome.
Frensham Village Shop click on the link for more information
As a result of collating all of the questionnaire results we now know that you want a small shop initially, preferably located at kingsbury recreation ground and you want it as soon as possible. It has come to our attention that there is a purpose build shop cabin for sale in Frensham, Surrey. We are looking at the possiblity of purchasing this. We have to apply for planning permission and also need the consent of the Rec. committee, then we will need to raise between £20,000 - £30,000 in order to purchase the unit, arrange transportation, put electricity/drainage in place and stock the shop. If all of these things happen in the next few months we may have a shop in the village by the beginning of next year!!!
Why this unit?
In a search for a suitable building to house the shop, the Plunkett Foundation with whom we have worked with closely regarding the registering of the project as an Industrial Provident Society (IPS), advertised this unit. It was specially designed for the purpose of being a shop. The shelving on both sides with a gondola through the centre is wide enough to allow access for a wheelchair. A Fujitsu air conditioning unit has been installed. One of the Management Committee has been speaking to Seavington Community Shop Committee and they are having to now install Air Conditioning in their shop as the heat from freezers & chillers is damaging the stock. We see an air conditioning unit in the first instance as a necessity rather than an extra. The lighting is sufficient to provide a bright and light atmosphere. The strength of the building is in the design as other shop projects have found when a portacabin style unit has been used if too much weight has been put through the centre the sides tend to collapse. This building started life as a container. We encourage you to follow the links to the Frensham website to view the photos and full
specifications of the unit. Some of the Management Committee are hoping to visit Frensham shortly. Ultimately this may not be the unit chosen for the shop but it gives a good indication of how plans can progress with your help.
Winner of the £100 prize
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Winner of £100 draw
The winner of the £100 draw ticket, pictured above collecting her prize money kindly donated by Thoroughbred Design and Print and English Homes. More details in the next issue of 'Let's Talk Shop' due in October.
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Publicity for Kingsbury Shop in Western Gazette
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This publicity appeared in The Western Gazette on 18th August. We are hoping that there will be future articles following our progress over the next few weeks and months.
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Musician helps with fundraising
I have been trying to think of a way that I can help the Community Shop Project along and have come up with a suggestion. Whilst at Music College in the USA I paid my way through by enrolling on the 'work-study' program. Rather than wash dishes, I was taken under the wing of the Piano Maintenance Department and I was trained up as a Piano Tuner. By the end of my 4 Year Degree course I was a good enough piano tuner to be tuning the Recording Studio pianos, the Recital Rooms and even the main Concert Hall - pianos that were then being played by people from Oscar Peterson to Joe Zawinul.
Since returning to the UK in '87 I worked for a while as a piano tuner for Compton Pianos in Sherborne (a long-established and reputable firm) but fortunately my career as a drummer took off and the Piano Tuning took a back seat (perhaps that should be back 'stool'). I still kept my 'hand' in by tuning for friends and, if the 'house' piano was particularly ropey, at gigs.
The going rate for a piano tuning seems to be around the £40 mark. I will donate £10.00 of that to the Shop Fund. If a piano needs a lot of work (pitch-raising/regulation/repairs etc) we'll work out a suitable percentage.
This all depends upon you having a piano, of course If not, then bear myself and my lovely wife Lynne in mind if you ever need live music for weddings/parties etc. I do the Dinner Jazz/ Pop stuff, Lynne handles the Classical/Palm Court stuff. A booking via this email would also result in a donation from the fee to the shop project. See: www.trioconbrio.co.uk and www.jazznotjazz.co.uk.
Sam can be contacted on e-mail Sam@sambrown.co.uk
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