02-Mar-2009
Staffordshire County Council - Grants return services to village life
An enterprising Alstonefield landlady is now offering her punters more than a pint and a bite to eat after scooping funding to transform the venue's outbuildings into the village's only shop.
Emily Hammond bid for a cash boost to transform the vacant Coach House at The George into a thriving farm shop which sells seasonal vegetables, locally sourced meat, preserves and homemade bread and cakes from the pub's kitchen.
The venture is the first of its kind in Staffordshire but similar schemes have proved popular in other parts of the country.
Staffordshire County Council's Rural Access to Services Partnership provided £10,000 funding towards the enterprise as part of the Pub is the Hub scheme while Marston's, which owns the buildings, funded the building works.
The Grade II listed Coach House will now play a major role in maintaining rural life as well as boosting the local economy and cutting down on C02 emissions by providing people with a shop right on their doorstep.
The aim of the project is to offer rural communities a lifeline by increasing facilities that have seen a decline in recent years.
Mrs Hammond said that the project had added another dimension to village life.
"We believe that the farm shop will play a major role in helping to maintain a rural way of life, keeping money within the local community, connecting producers to their consumers and strengthening our awareness of the land around us and the food that it produces. It will also provide additional employment opportunities."
Staffordshire County Councillor for Economic Prosperity and Sustainable Communities John Wakefield added: "This project will make a real difference to the people of Alstonefield as well as giving a wonderful building a new lease of life. It is vital that we support ventures like this that offer so many benefits to the community as well as the economy. Offering amenities in villages also means that we can cut our carbon footprint as people do not have to travel further afield to buy their goods."
Grants of up to £10,000 are being offered through the RASP. Financial help is available to part fund projects and eligible businesses must contribute a minimum of 50% of the total cost of the scheme.
RASP offers financial support to rural landlords who want to open services, such as village shops and post offices, in their pubs. The scheme also aims to enhance existing rooms within venues by converting them into meeting places, youth facilities and crèches.
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