THIS month Sandford Community Stores and Post Office will be 10 years old.

At a time when village Post Offices have been closing everywhere and giants of the retail world like Woolworths and BHS have been going out of business, Sandford Stores has been thriving.

Tomorrow, Saturday, December 3, there will be birthday celebrations in the Square in Sandford.

As well as a birthday cake to share, customers will be able to enjoy a special tasting of some of the Christmas drinks and Christmas treats on sale in the shop. 

It was 11 years ago, when Joan Newstead, the Sandford postmistress announced that she wanted to retire, the village realised its small Post Office was threatened with closure. The future didn’t look good.

As Sandford didn’t have a shop, a group of concerned people worked together to “save” the Post Office, and to open a community shop.

The only way to make it profitable was for the community to both own it and make use of volunteers as well as having paid staff.  But they needed to raise £70,000 to buy the Post Office premises. 

Many applications for funding resulted in a successful National Lottery bid, but the community still needed to raise £30,000.

There were jumble sales, farm walks, coffee mornings and many music gigs in the Parish Hall, involving some famous musicians such as “Show of Hands”, Thea Gilmore and Steve Howe from “Yes”.

In early December 2006 Steve Knightley and Phil Beer of “Show of Hands”, having just won the award for “The Greatest Devonians Ever” visited Sandford where, at a short ceremony, passed over the deeds to the premises from Joan and Trevor Newstead to the village representatives.

Charlie Werner, from the Association which now runs Sandford Stores, said: “Sandford, from that time, owned the premises and could start planning for the future.

“Ten years later, the community shop and Post Office is a lifeline to local people.

“Sandford Stores is much more than a shop.  It is a special place that tries to provide the basics but at the same time sells local produce that is often not available in the supermarkets. Sandford Stores is a non-profit making organisation and so any profits are passed over to Sandford Area Community Action (SACA) where it can be distributed to local organisations and projects.

“SACA has contributed to Sandford Scouts, the Good Companions, Sandford and District Passenger Group and helped with the purchase of a disability ramp for the village. The shop has also helped to fund new sports kit for Sandford School.”

Mr Werner added: “After 10 successful years of trading, with Stu Wight and Vicki Maya at the helm, we are giving the shop an exciting makeover in the early months of 2017.

“Please come and have a look at our new shiny shop in 2017 or better still, come and have a look at the interesting Christmas gifts we have now.”

Alan Quick