Archive for the ‘Uncategorised’ Category
Great Garden Makeover Sat 12 Aug
Join the Village Hall Committee and Ilsington Primary School in sprucing up the shop’s environment!
The Milennium Garden is having a makeover and there will be lots of clearing and planting to do.
Please come along between 11am and 4pm if you would like to help. Donations of nature-loving and wildlife friendly plants as well as herbs would be much appreciated.
ILSINGTON VILLAGE SHOP AGM 26 JULY
It’s that time of year again!
You are cordially invited to the Ilsington Village Shop AGM
At: Ilsington Village Hall Meeting Room
On: Wednesday 26 July
Doors open 7pm for 7.30pm start
Come along and meet your committee and fellow volunteers as well as finding out how the Shop has been doing over the last year.
There will be cheese and biscuits, teas and coffee and you will be able to sample a taster of our newest shop wine purchase!
Sadly, we are losing two of our longstanding Committee members so if there is anyone out there who would like to be a little more involved with our amazing little shop, joining our friendly Shop Committee is the ideal way to do so! Please feel free to have a chat with Amy or Fiona if you would like more information.
Ilsington Summer Show 15 July 1 to 5pm
We are changed but not defeated! Over the past 36 hours we have been constantly assessing the weather with visitor safety at the very centre of our plans. The main marquee is very capable of withstanding the forecasted wind speeds so the show has moved entirely indoors!
With more class entries than ever before, an inside band, a smaller but still lovely craft and ice cream area for children, gorgeous refreshment stand, fabulous bar and a great raffle, there are plenty of reasons to go ahead. Add to that an opportunity to meet friends and neighbors and it’s going to be a different, but special, show.
Please note that the village shop will now be open as usual in the afternoon.
Ilsington Village Shop Mugs
New in! Check out these gorgeous Village Shop mugs. Perfect for your morning cuppa or as a thoughtful gift. Support your little shop with a big heart.
Long Live The King!
On Monday 8 May, the whole Parish was invited to a party tea at the Village Hall to celebrate the coronation of King Charles.
It was wonderful to see so many people enjoying delicious cakes and conversation! A big thank you to everyone who helped out and special thanks for your generous donations. £400 was raised for the Friends of Ilsington School and the Village Hall.
……And Hello Amy!
A big welcome to Amy Luxton, our new shop manager.
Amy may be a familiar face to many of you as she has been volunteering in the shop for some time. Along with husband James and sons Jack and Benjamin, Amy has lived in Town Meadow for six years. After 14 years as a vet, Amy is very excited about her new challenge: “I grew up in a little village in Scotland so I really understand the importance of community and the shop’s role in that. It’s essential it flourishes into the future”.
Next time you are passing the shop, please do pop in and say hi to Amy – she can’t wait to meet you all!
Farewell Katherine…….
For three years, Kat has been at the helm of our little shop. It is not an understatement to say that if it were not for her limitless heart and tireless work steering the shop through the stormy seas of the Covid Lockdowns, we might not have made it! She really did go above and beyond when it came to helping the community and supporting all of our lovely volunteers, and this high level of commitment has continued since, to ensure that Ilsington Village Shop remains a wonderful and vibrant space.
Kat is now embarking on a new path and is sadly going to be stepping down as manager. However, as the shop will always be her baby, we will all still enjoy her company and laughter on a regular basis.
Thank you, Kat, for all your hard work and your love.
Late Night Opening 6 December
This year our late night opening is on Tuesday 6 December until 8pm. There will be mince pies and mulled wine for all, plus lots of tasty goodies to try. The perfect opportunity to do all your Christmas Shopping in one evening!
Entertainment will be from Ilsington Primary School who will be singing carols at 4pm and also live festive music from Spectrum Band at 6pm.
Elf Katharine and Elf Fiona will be directing the festive fun so why not come and join them and get your Christmas party started!
2022 Community Awards
In 2022, Ilsington Village Shop was delighted to be able to give back £600 to the local community. This year, the lucky recipients were:
Twiglets Mother and Toddler Group who received £300 towards their annual Village Hall hire cost.
Fast Fiona’s Ilsington Keep Fit Class received £100 towards their annual Village Hall hire cost.
And Ilsington Primary School received £200 towards their 150th anniversary celebration, which was used to enhance their learning spaces and for creating wildlife habitats in their Nature Area.
We are in the Mid Devon Advertiser this week!
Extract from the Mid Devon Advertiser 23 Sept 2022
Celebrating 10 years of supporting the community.
In 2012 there was a very special day in the village of Ilsington.
After nearly four years of planning, fundraising and organising, Ilsington Village Shop finally opened its doors to the public for the first time.
It was a very proud and emotional day for everyone and the opening speeches reflected that.
The late Tony Beard, BBC Radio Devon presenter and local celebrity, cut the ribbon ‘disguised’ as his alter ego, the Widecombe Wag.
The children from Ilsington Primary School sang a beautiful song and refreshments were served in the hall and there was food tasting in the shop.
Ten years on, many of the founding committee members, and even some of the original volunteers, are still involved and have shared details of the long road to that day in July 2012.
When the privately-owned village shop near the Ilsington Country Hotel closed, the community began a three-year search for premises and funding.
The Village Hall was adding a meeting room so it was agreed that this work would blend well with the addition of a community-run shop.
A grant of £180,000 from the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) made the shop a viable prospect. Contributions from shareholders raised additional funds to reach the required £230,000 to build and open the shop; this included a fundraising initiative to buy tiles for the roof.
Founder member Alan Hobbs recalls how they had to be light on their feet to secure fixtures and fittings: ‘The Coop were very supportive and we were fortunate that they were refitting their Chelston store so I went over with my trailer to collect shelving.’
Former John Lewis employee Emma Schramm was the first manager and her knowledge and experience established its style, which remains today.
Emma is still involved in the shop as a committee member and has just taken over as chair from Su Wheaton who has also been involved in the shop from the beginning.
In 2015, the shop was a finalist in the Parliamentary Best Small Shops Competition and was declared to be one of 20 community treasures by The Daily Telegraph.
Current manager Katherine Bainbridge and assistant manager Fiona Coles steered the shop through the Covid lockdowns, keeping customers stocked up on loo rolls and other essentials when the big supermarkets ran out.
At this time, the shop really showed its value to the community with high sales and a busy delivery service.
Today, it continues to be a vibrant hub of the Ilsington community and its environs.
Its range of products is constantly evolving with a particular focus on using small local producers wherever possible.
The shop hosts the Post Office on Mondays and Fridays and takes orders each week for those who struggle to get there.
Protecting the environment is central to the shop’s ethos with refillable milk and a wide range of environmentally-friendly products.
The shop is staffed by a range of local volunteers who are always ready to give that extra bit of help to customers when needed.
A very special place indeed.
By Belinda Hayes