BACK in 2017, Jemima Yeandle was in her final year at Cheriton Fitzpaine Primary School and she entered a competition to design a logo for the planned new community shop.

The village shop and Post Office had closed in December 2016 and a group of volunteers decided to encourage the village to build a new replacement shop. Jemima won the competition with her charming design of a scarecrow which was suitably adapted to become the shop logo.

So successful was the village’s response to the call to build, that by January 2018 they were ready to hold the “cutting the first turf” ceremony, and guess who was on-hand to be the youngest member of that stalwart team!

It was another member of the Yeandle clan who opened the shop when it was completed in May 2018. Jack Yeandle, captain of the Exeter Chief’s Rugby Team, who has historic links with the village of Cheriton Fitzpaine, drew a large crowd to the opening celebrations.

Now, after more than a year of successful trading, the village shop is again benefitting from Jemima’s commitment to help.

Now in her third year at Queen Elizabeth’s School in Crediton, Jemima is working towards her Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze Award, and has to perform some voluntary service of benefit to the community.

And guess where she wanted to do that? She is giving one-hour a week after school to serve in the Cheriton Fitzpaine Community Shop.

It’s so encouraging to see such community spirit being demonstrated by the young people of today.