A public open day is being held on Friday, November 8, for all those interested in a new community shop planned for Harrowbarrow and Metherell.
The event from 2pm to 6pm at the village hall will show imagery and details of how the potential new shop will look with members of the committee available to speak to the community.
The community shop is being planned to replace the post office in the centre of Harrowbarrow which has been the heart of the community for over a century. The postmaster and postmistress will be retiring next August.
Volunteers have responded to the announcement by coming together to seek a solution. They are hoping to raise around £60,000 which they think is needed to get a community shop up and running in time for the Post Office closure.
Chair of the committee Karen Bennett, said: “The community is determined to keep a shop/post office going, and our survey showed real support for continuing with a community shop, focused on meeting very local needs.
“Often we only realise how vital community assets are when we are about to lose them.
“We have started the process of applying for grants. There are community engagement and fundraising events planned, where people can learn about buying shares in the community shop, which we hope to do early next year.
“We will be talking to people in advance about making pledges of support.”
The location of the new shop will not be in the former Post Office but a plot, the committee thinks, near the village hall and school.
Karen explains: “These are places where the community comes together, and we also want to make sure our children, and their parents, and everyone else can shop conveniently and be part of the community.”
Individual volunteers have already signed up to help, but Karen added: “We are talking to the relevant organisations about where we can locate the shop, and working our way through planning applications, on how to build and stock it.
“We would welcome inputs from individuals, businesses, or other organisations who want to get involved.”