A BID to move Cheriton Fitzpaine’s community shop inside the former Methodist church next door has been given a significant boost.

A share offer launched in May has reached its minimum target of £100,000, which has put the project well on the way to reaching the estimated £275,000 needed to buy and refurbish the church.

The success also means an equity grant of up to £50,000 can now be applied for from Cooperatives UK’s Community Shares Booster Fund.

If the grant application is successful, the church building can be bought and some of the necessary remedial work carried out. More grant funding can then be sought to go towards renovation costs.

The community shop opened seven years ago in 2018 in a cabin on land adjacent to the church following the closure of the village’s post office and shop two years prior. Planning permission has recently been given to incorporate the former post office and shop into the rest of the house it is part of.

Since temporary planning permission for the cabin housing the community shop expires in November 2026 and the shop's lease in December 2027, villagers have been raising money to buy the former church, move the shop inside and open a cafe and multi-purpose hub.

The church shut its doors in April 2024 due to a lack of members and an aging congregation. The building is in a “poor state of repair” and a recent public meeting heard it has “major problems with practically everything” except the roof.

The Methodist Church has given the community the opportunity to raise funds to purchase it before putting it on the open market.

The share offer is still open for people who want to invest in the project. You can find out more by visiting: cheritonshopchapelproject.info.