Press Release

Publication from the Mid Devon Gazette 27th July 2004

Bike ride in aid of shop

RACKENFORD residents have hit the road to cover the debts of their village shop.
Many members of the community completed a sponsored bike ride on Sunday in aid of the Village Shop Company, which successfully saved their store from closure last year.

Now the group aim to continue their work and reach their target of £12,000 to pay off loans raised in the campaign.
Brian Peace, treasurer of the company, said: "The event generated plenty of interest. Forty five runners took part and raised £780 for our cause.

"Participants were mainly school children but ages ranged from five to 60 years old and all involved enjoyed completing the course."

Cyclists could follow either an eight or 12 mile route but one youngster found it all too much and was happy to cross the finishing line on his father's tractor. The positive reaction from riders has already inspired plans for a repeat event next year.

Any money raised will go toward repaying a loan of £9,000 to the Devon County Council, while a further £3,000 is also needed to repay individual contributors.

Mr. Peace said: "The shop has been running very well since it opened in October. Its popularity has undoubtedly been helped by the locally produced items on sale."

Sam Tarn
Reporter
Mid Devon Gazette series                         27/07/2004

(Publication from the Mid Devon Gazette 16th Sept 2003)

Beer festival raises money for village shop

VISITORS and locals almost drank the village dry at Rackenford's first ever Beer Festival.

Twenty barrels - nearly 1,400 pints of ale - were consumed over the two days at the village's pub, The Stag.
And organisers said nearly £2,000 had been raised for the Rackenford Shop Company, due to launch its new venture next month.

With eight local ales and two national brews on offer, hundreds joined in the fun beer-tasting and enjoyed a pig roast, barbecue, music and fair.

Organiser Jim Fraser said: "The weekend exceeded all expectation and we had an absolutely fabulous time.
"There were people from all over the area, as well as the village and everyone really enjoyed themselves."
Plans by parishioners to launch their own village store at Rackenford's former, 19th century village school building are now well-advanced.

Fund-raising events, like the beer festival, continue in November with an Auction of Promises.
So far the Rackenford Shop Company has raised some £70,000 of the £80,000 it needs for the venture.
And an official launch date has provisionally been set for October 18.
Mike Lane, who has been working on the scheme for three years, said the scheme would be unique and self-sufficient.
"We have done our research and won't be jumping in too deeply initially," he said.
"The stocks will be full to start with and we expect people to come from all over, not just Rackenford."
The brand new post office and stores will help make the village more self-contained, selling vegetables, meat and crafts in particular.

With no major settlements nearby, residents must currently travel to South Molton, Bampton, Dulverton or Tiverton for supplies.

The group has faced several setbacks, including rejection of a £15,000 grant application by the Rural Enterprise Scheme.

The company will own the building and pay for insurance but village sub-postmistress Sue Dunn will own the business that operates within.

(Publication from the Mid Devon Gazette 12th August 2003)

IF you ever needed proof that Britain is a nation of shopkeepers, then you need go no further than Rackenford.
Instead of having to drive miles to the nearest shops, the villagers decided that it was high time they had a store of their own. So they got the money together and bought one.

Their dreams are set to become reality next month - with the opening of a brand new post office and stores.
Mike Lane, who is chairman of The Rackenford Shop Company, said that the current post office was too small to be a real shop - and, because of the limited size of the business, would constantly be under threat.

So they clubbed together and, through a mix of fundraising and grant applications, came up with enough money to buy the old church room - which had been the village school back in the mid 19th century.

"We had to pay through the nose for it, and then we had to build an extension," said Mr Lane.
The company was disappointed when they found that they couldn't have a grant from the Rural Enterprise Scheme, because they had already obtained money from other organisations, and so they found themselves £15,000 short of the £80,000 target.

But they have now embarked upon a series of fundraising activities, including a beer festival and an auction of promises.

Mr Lane, who has been working on the scheme for three years, said one of the biggest difficulties had been finding their way around the smallprint of all the different grant-giving bodies.

"There are all sorts of restrictions. Some of them won't allow you to buy a freehold with the money, others say other things - still, it's coming together."

The Rackenford Shop Company will own the building and pay for its insurance, but the village sub-postmistress, Sue Dunn will own the business that operates within.

Mr Lane said: "We are trying to create a space for someone to make a reasonable living, but also when Sue decides that it's time for her to go, she will have a business to be able to sell on and then someone else can buy the business and run the shop."

One of the conditions on the lease of the shop will be that the person running it stocks local vegetables, meat and crafts wherever possible.

Mr Lane believed that people in Rackenford were used to looking after themselves because of their geographical location.

"We're quite a self-contained village really, because we don't rally belong to anybody. We're right on the edge of North Devon District Council. You only need to look at where people from Rackenford are registered with doctors, they go to South Molton, Bampton, Witheridge, Dulverton and Tiverton, so there is no one nearby major town.

"As a result, the village sort of looks after itself."
The beer festival will take place on August 23 and 24 at the village pub, The Stag.