Two Oxfordshire villages are celebrating the opening of new shops, after several years without a local store.

When Brightwell-cum-Sotwell’s previous shop closed eight years ago, villagers started a long campaign to set up a community-run store, raising £100,000 towards the start-up costs.

And the shop at Letcombe Regis is in a thatched building refurbished by Richmond Villages, the developer of a nearby retirement village, at the cost of £500,000.

Brightwell's shop cost £225,000 to set up, with 212 people making private donations. The rest came from charities, trusts and South Oxfordshire District Council. The shop, housed in a purpose-built, eco-friendly extension to the village hall and staffed by 70 volunteers, started trading in August.

Hundreds of villagers turned up for the official opening earlier this month by TV presenter Charlie Brooker, who grew up in Church Lane. His parents, Anne and Derek, still live in the village, while his grandparents Joseph and Elsie Brooker ran the sweet shop.

Sharing the ribbon-cutting duties was villager Ron Cook, 90, Mr Brooker’s former schoolmaster, whose sister used to run Brightwell’s general stores.

The shop and cafe at Letcombe Regis opened earlier this month, 25 years after the last one closed.

It is overseen by Samantha De La Querra, who is also manager of the wellness spa at the retirement village, and who was involved in setting up an award-winning village shop in Tackley.

Other staff are Diane Ockwell and Brenda Groves. Opening the Letcombe shop, John Naish, chairman of the Wantage and District Chamber of Commerce, said: "I’m sure it will fulfil an important role in the very heart of the community."