Built, owned and run by the community
Following the example of many other community shops, Galleries Shop & Café is owned and run by the community. Read about our Volunteers.
There are two employees – our full-time manager Christine McKenzie and a young apprentice. All the rest of the work – receiving deliveries, standing behind the till, serving coffees, finding new products to stock – is done by volunteers. Some sixty people signed up to help. Apart from working in the shop, there is the bookkeeping to do, the many handyman’s jobs, cashing up at night, and planning ahead to keep the range of goods and services fresh and appealing.
History
The old Limpley Stoke shop
The Galleries Shop & Café came about because both Freshford and Limpley Stoke had lost their shops. Limpley Stoke’s Shop closed in 2005, Freshford’s was still open but its closure had been announced.
People felt a shop was a must and a group of us got together to see if this could be achieved.
Step One was a public meeting to gauge the level of commitment to a shop.
The old Freshford shop
This was done by asking people to agree to spend a certain amount of money every month – IF the shop were to stock the items they wanted to buy. We called this approach “Reverse Credit”.
They were also asked whether they would be willing to work in the shop as volunteers, and if they might make a financial contribution towards a shop, and if they might be willing to serve on a management committee. People were very ready to commit to one or more of these!
Efforts were made first to take over the Limpley Stoke shop, later the Freshford one – but these attempts failed because neither building was available at an affordable price.
Instead, fundraising activities were organised, grants were applied for and a big drive for capital donations from within the community was undertaken. People rose to the challenge. A piece of land was found, and a shop designed. Planning permission took a while to get because the site – although right next to Freshford Village Hall – was in the greenbelt. But it was achieved! The result is an environmentally sound, well insulated, well ventilated building – small enough to be affordable yet large enough to accommodate a broad range of goods.
A survey was conducted to find out just what people wanted to buy – and almost everything on that list was on the shelves when the Galleries Shop & Café opened its doors on Wednesday 4th August 2009.
The shop opens!
On Saturday 12th September 2009, the grand opening took place! Everyone was there. Hugh Delap, speaking for both Parish Councils, addressed a large crowd – and introduced Midge Ure who had kindly agreed to do the honours for us.
You can watch a recording of the proceedings here.
Freshford & Limpley Stoke Community Association (FLiSCA)
Galleries Shop & Café is constituted as an ordinary limited company BUT it is 100% owned and governed by the Freshford & Limpley Stoke Community Association (FLiSCA).
FLiSCA is a registered charity – charity number 1129476 – with the following objectives (for full text, please see www.charitycommission.gov.uk):
- providing or assisting to provide facilities for recreation or other leisure time occupation in the interests of social welfare
- the relief of need particularly amongst those who are elderly, disabled, young or experiencing financial hardship and
- the advancement of education for the public benefit.
FLiSCA set up the shop with the help of generous donations from residents, fundraising
events, and large and small grants from many different organisations. Any surplus from the shop goes back to FLiSCA for spending on its charitable purposes. FLiSCA’s charitable status means that gift aid was available on the many private donations received. It also means that no corporation tax is payable.
FLiSCA is a membership organisation with currently 135 members. Membership is open to all residents of Freshford and Limpley Stoke. Its Board of Trustees is re-elected annually at its AGM (usually in November) where the year’s accounts are presented and members are consulted on the spending of FLiSCA’s funds on community projects.
FLiSCA Trustees and funders
FLiSCA currently has nine Trustees: Gitte Dawson – John Ager – Malcolm Shirley – Orla Morrish – Peter Wyatt – Louise Kirby-Garton – René Closuit – Sheila Reiter – Stephen Dawson.
FLiSCA would like to thank the following organisations for their generous financial assistance:
- The Rural Renaissance Programme (SWRDA)
- The Village Core Programme (Plunkett Foundation)
- Lottery Awards for All
- Freshford Parish Council
- Medlock Trust
- Comma Fund
- Onestop Stores
- Friends of Freshford
- Limpley Stoke Events Committee
- Limpley Stoke Parish Council, and
- Coooperative & Community Finance (loan).
We particularly thank all the many people in Freshford and Limpley Stoke who gave so generously of their money, their skills and their time to make it all possible.
Following a first successful financial year, FLiSCA is now in a position to award small grants for community projects. See the FLiSCA page of this website for more detail on how the money is spent and how to apply for grants.
Contact FLiSCA on Tel 01225 722511 (Gitte Dawson) or email flisca0@gmail.com (that’s a zero before the @ sign).
The Shop Management Committee
The shop management committee looks after the day-to-day operation of the shoop. It currently consists of the following individuals:
- Alison Orme – volunteer coordination
- Ann Robbins – new projects
- Annette Sharp – product range and display
- Christine McKenzie – manager
- Gitte Dawson – Chair, PR, Accounts
- John Jenkins – volunteer newsletter
- Krissy Bamber – Café
- Orla Morrish – EPOS, personnel
- Peter King – building issues.
All can be reached via committee@gallerieshop.co.uk or by leaving a telephone message for them at the shop (Tel 01225 723249).
Volunteers
Volunteers are still always welcome. There are a great variety of jobs to do – longer and shorter shifts in the shop itself baking, serving behind the till and stacking shelves as well as specific tasks such as ordering goods, receiving and checking orders, serving café customers, researching new products, journeys to purchase goods, building and repairing things, and watering our herb garden!
We ask you to complete a volunteer form and to attend a brief training session. The day is split into three shifts. A rota of who is on duty when is maintained online and accessible to all volunteers for reference and updating. An irregular newsletter called The Pinny goes to all volunteers and an occasional party brings us all together.
Email us or speak to our manager Christine McKenzie in the shop if you would like to be part of this lively group.
Facts and figures
Our second year of operation has just come to a close. We thank our volunteers and customers for an extremely successful start to our community business. Turnover – now at some £6500 per week - is more than double what we had forecast in our business plan – thanks to now over 200 customers visiting the shop every day. We have managed to keep our prices low although there is, of course, no competing with the supermarkets who benefit from 
bulk buying. Still, a recent shopping basket comparison of 25 standard items showed us to be just 6% more expensive than Sainsbury’s - and 16% cheaper than the nearest Coop!
Our 60+ suppliers range from people in our villages making cakes, soups, quiches, salads and scones, and local artists and photographers contributing greeting cards and the Freshford calendar, to nearby farms and other local producers. The bulk of our standard groceries come from a wholesaler’s branch in Bristol.
Our customers are mostly locals – people who live in Freshford and Limpley Stoke – and parents of children attending Freshford School and the new Pre-school at the Village Hall. But neighbouring villagers have also discovered us. The No 94 bus conveniently passes through Westwood, Freshford, Limpley Stoke and Monkton Combe at convenient intervals – giving you an hour to shop and a cup of coffee between arrival and the return journey.
Due to generous publicity in the press, a recent Council Connect magazine, the Archers on the radio, and even The Great British Menu on BBC2, the shop also attracts people from much further away. With its pleasant café it makes a good destination for a walk or a bike ride to the area.
We like cooperating with other community shops in the area and often receive visitors keen to start up their own shop who like to find out how we do things.
The Reverse Credit Scheme
Our local customers help the shop’s cashflow by paying a regular set amount (at their discretion) into the shop each month by standing order, which they can then spend as the month goes by.
Some 120 village households avail themselves of this Scheme. They find it convenient not to have to carry money even when walking out with the dog and wanting to stop for a coffee. It also means they can send their children shopping for them, or their visitors, without cash being involved. The number of reverse credit customers is still growing, and families often find, as they get accustomed to shopping at Galleries regularly, that they need to increase their monthly amount or else top up their accounts half-way through! Amounts committed range from £20 to £350 per month.
There is a loyalty scheme. For every £500 spent at the shop via Reverse Credit customers receive a £5 voucher to spend at the shop.