Bicester shop community ownership plans come step closer

Community benefit society Weston SOS Ltd are coming closer to their £650,000 target needed to bring the Weston Pantry Shop and Post Office in Weston-on-the-Green under its ownership.

The organisation received news today that its Community Ownership Fund grant application for over £280,000 from the government has been successful.

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The group’s total – excluding the grant – now stands at more than £132,000, which has been raised since November 1.

The initiative started after a village meeting where the prospect of losing the shop was raised, following the owner’s decision to step down.

Chairman of Weston SOS Limited Sam Sharp said: “I’m absolutely blown away. I’m amazed we were successful with this grant.

“We got a heads up that the decision might come this week, so everyone’s been very tense waiting to see whether we would be successful in getting the money.”

Aside from the government grant, the organisation is raising funds in other ways.

It has launched a community share offer, which allows the public to invest in saving the shop. Along with receiving a £15,000 grant from the Community Shares Booster Fund.

Money is also being raised through donations.

Mr Sharp explained that whatever money is left to raise after both grants, community shares and donations have been taken into account, will likely come from a loan or a mortgage.

He said: “Receiving this £280,000 grant is a great thing because the people who were sitting on the fence about whether to invest in our community shares are now – hopefully – more open to the idea.

“The feedback we’ve had from people is that they like what we’re doing but they want to know the project is going to go ahead.

“We have extended the deadline for community shares to be bought until January 17 now, so there’s still time for people to get involved and buy shares.”

On the prospect of the shop coming into community ownership once all the money is raised, Mr Sharp said: “I’m still not 100 per cent sure it will happen.

"This grant was one of the key bits we needed, but the last piece of the puzzle is the process with the post office.

“Once we have the money we need we’ll then have to apply to take over the contract for the building, so that’s a big part of this too.”

Mr Sharp said if the campaign is successful and the store comes into community ownership, the idea would be to keep the staff who currently work there.

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This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.

Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1