About us


What is the Barrowden and Wakerley Community Shop?


A Community Shop is a social enterprise, not for profit, venture that is owned by the community to serve the community. It will put the heart back into the village by providing a focus for the community as it responds to local needs.

The DTI definition of a social enterprise is “ A social enterprise is a business with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community. rather than being driven by the need to maintain profit for shareholders and owners.”

This principle has been the basis in all the plans to provide a community shop in Barrowden. To serve the community who live here and those who visit this lovely conservation village in England’s smallest county. It will provide the regular daily needs and a small “deli” selection for occasional buys. Emphasis on local providers, organic when possible.

The national footpaths Jurassic Way and Rutland Round, well used by ramblers throughout the year, go through Barrowden and Wakerley. Others come to visit the ancient Parish Church, the picturesque village green and pond. Or the village where Thomas Cook began his tourism career while he was the local Baptist minister. Artists enjoy painting the villages and Welland Valley. At present there is no public toilet or seated picnic area with drinks or snacks available.

Barrowden has a doctor’s surgery, which is used by 13 other villages in addition to local residents. Most of these are without a shop or post office. Many regular users look forward to the shop, coffee bar and other facilities including dry cleaning, cash back and pay point. Those who offer accommodation or other services in the area will have opportunity to advertise in the community shop or sell their wares.

Read more in Shop History and in Social Goals

Read more about the beautiful village of Barrowden in the delightful County of Rutland on the village's own website.  See www.villagelinks.co.uk   The Community Shop is most grateful to the Barrowden Village web-site and its editors for their kindness in hosting pages for us in the past. Now that we have our own web-site it seems simplest for us to edit our content directly rather than needing to involve the Village's editors each time. Thank you for all their help to Caroline and Iain McBain. (Any errors or inadequacies in the web-site are ours alone now. Ouch!)

The project aims to achieve the following benefits for the community

  1. To be an open welcoming efficient business to enhance the rural economy in this corner of Rutland by providing an outlet for local produce from farmers, horticulturalists, local crafts, plus a small select deli area. Regular “ordinary” shopping needs which will include Fair Trade products where possible.
  2. To give local farmers, bakers and fruit and vegetable growers the opportunity to supply the shop. Some involved in the occasional farmers markets have indicated they would appreciate a regular outlet. A number of local people would welcome the opportunity to provide goods to sell on an occasional basis. (garden produce, home baking, preserves, crafts.)
  3. To offer wider opportunities to local traders Butcher, Dairy, Newspapers. who currently supply the village by delivery van.
  4. To add value to the quality of life by restoring the opportunity to shop and socialise within the village, also to reduce time for travel and cut the carbon footprint. Rising fuel prices add to the need for local shopping. The community shop with coffee and meeting area will reduce isolation of those at home during the day. Also a welcome break for all ramblers and other visitors.  Local bus service is minimal and all without cars face considerable isolation including younger parents at home and the elderly. The young people see it as an excellent meeting area. Also those working from home often travel to the Post Office at Ketton (7miles) or Uppingham (6 Miles.)
  5. To increase communication between village organisations with the informal meeting/sharing area, IT facilities for online ordering, school homework, photocopying, laminating resources: dry cleaning service, parcel collection point, swap shop for CDs, DVDs, Videos, Jigsaws. Notice board.
  6. To offer as many Post Office facilities as possible probably as an outreach provision. Cash back to be included.

Read more about The Company and its Members and the Steering Group


Shop Delivery


Shop Site Development Slideshow

Subpages (4): Shop History Social Goals Steering Group The Company and its Members