A COMMUNITY shop project in the Tamar Valley is gaining momentum – and villagers are showing their support through a household survey.

Next August will see the closure of Harrowbarrow Post Office and Shop, which has served the villages of Harrowbarrow and Metherell and surrounding hamlets since 1904.

Current owners Adrian and Mandy Parkes have been running the shop for 25 years but will retire in 2025.

Keen to preserve such an important asset, local residents have rallied around the idea of the community shop model, which has proven so successful in other parts of Devon and Cornwall.

Following a public meeting and the formation of a committee, paper and digital surveys have gone out to local residents, and responses are building steadily.

Committee chairman Karen Bennett said: “The value of a community shop lies not just in the items for sale, but in the togetherness it can bring to a village.

“Strangers coming together in a common cause will hopefully lead to lasting friendships and a wonderful sense of achievement.”

Together with local councillor Tracy Ledger, Karen has visited St Dominic’s shop to find out how it was funded and built, and has been on the lookout for potential premises.

They’re both keen to hear from as many residents as possible to know what the potential customer base will need from its new shop when it opens next year.

The committee has also joined Plunkett UK, an advisory organisation for community shops. The advice gained so far has definitely highlighted the amount of work required, says Karen, but the committee is confident that the village is up to the challenge.

“The task at the moment is to determine the needs of the community and then to meet those needs. To do this we need to analyse as many complete surveys as possible. All views are important, whether you use the existing shop or not.”

The deadline for survey submissions is Friday September 13. Surveys have been delivered to homes and can be obtained from the existing Post Office. Look for the online survey by visiting Harrowbarrow and Metherell Community Shop on Facebook.