A pioneering community shop started by members of the Women's Institute and run by more than 100 volunteers is celebrating its 40th year with a great gathering of its supporters.
Polstead Community Shop near Hadleigh will be marking the milestone on Saturday, July 13, from 2pm to 4pm.
Around 180 invitations have been sent out to people known to have been involved and the get-together is set to include a large number of past and present volunteers and board members.
The two founder members of the shop - which began life in a second-hand mobile caravan in March 1984 - were Polstead residents Ruth Crabtree and Erica Pomerans.
They were Women's Institute (WI) members and came up with the idea of opening a community shop in October 1983. They took their inspiration from a handful of community shops which had emerged across England.
Suffolk ACRE - formerly the Rural Community Council for Suffolk - supported their efforts and within five months the village raised £2,000 from events, donations, trading bonds and loans from local council and charities.
A small piece of land was leased from the Riddleston Family and trading began at the caravan - which was donated to the cause.
In the early days the shop attracted TV and radio interest - and scooped a number of awards.
The business grew and led to the creation of a purpose-built shop as part of the extension to the village hall in 1987. Building costs were kept low through business support and voluntary labour.
In 1999, the post office - which was originally on the other side of The Green - moved into a designated space inside.
Both of the founders died last year but their legacy lives on. The shop has been through highs and lows - but its fortunes were revived during the pandemic which revived interest in shopping locally.
Young people - including those at university - joined the volunteer workforce, which was hit by the pandemic when some volunteers became home-bound. They ensured that the shop remained open during the crisis.
It became a hub for people to socialise safely outside while keeping their distance.
The shop hasn't looked back since and many customers gained have remained loyal.
Supporter Amanda Ainsworth said the ethos of the little shop was to supply the local villagers with reasonably priced goods - and to stock enough fresh fruit, vegetables, dairy and meat as well as store cupboard ingredients to ensure shoppers could rustle up a good meal.
In response to demand, the shop now uses more local suppliers and greener alternatives, she added.
"Customer reviews have been excellent and the ability to serve coffee and teas along with ice-creams and cakes has seen the shop be utilised by walkers and cyclists, our lovely volunteers are forever having to learn new skills for their two and a half hour shifts," she said.
The shop has no paid employees and relies on its 30 or so volunteers and a management board of elected members to keep it going.
"To date there have been probably more than 100 locals involved in keeping the shop open, with more always joining as we always love meeting new volunteers who often find it a wonderful way to meet new people and keep in touch with old friends," said Amanda.
"Our 40th anniversary is a great way to look back, thank those who originally started the shop and thank those who are ensuring that it continues thriving."
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