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These veggie pasties will be on sale next week for National Vegetarian Week #shopnews

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Come and try something new ! #shopnews

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We are now collecting tombola for this year's village fete on 5 June. Please pop your donations in the dedicated box - thank you very much! #shopnews

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Dog Show at Wilstone Fete 

Do you have a talented pooch? Then bring your dog along to the Wilstone Fete for your chance to win one of our prestigious awards!

Rosettes for the top 5 placings in each of the following classes

1. Best trick

2. Best sit and stay

3. Best Biscuit Catcher

4. Waggiest Tail

5. Bonio and Spoon Race

6. Toy Chase Race

All entries on the day at the Registration Tent from 1pm.

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BBC 3 Counties paid us a visit this morning on their Treasure Hunt - after a short interview and a couple of scones they were off on their way to Wendover #shopnews

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More fly tipping down Watery Lane this morning - revolting #news

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Doing some baking this week? Take advantage of our half price Flora - while stocks last #shopnews

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Come in and see our Easter goodies!

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Want to order meat for Easter? Need a last minute Easter egg? Fancy some Simnel cake with your cup of tea? Pop in and see us #ShopNews

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Wilstone Community Shop Annual Meeting 11 March 2016 - Chairman’s Report

I am delighted to welcome you all this our third Annual Members’ Meeting.

Progress to Date

I am pleased to report back to you on yet another hectic year in the life of Wilstone Community Shop.  With no major structural changes in the shop our focus has largely been one of consolidation and focus on improving our customer offer.  

I’d like to start by looking at the Management Committee and volunteers.   I’m very happy to say that all of the current Management Committee are happy to continue in post.  Sadly Graham Thorpe, who so ably undertook the role of Secretary since the Committee was established, left to move back to his home turf of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne last August.  Doug Chalmers generously stepped into the breach on Graham’s departure on a temporary basis.  We would now ask you all here if anyone else would be interested in doing the role of Secretary. This involves ensuring we fully comply with the rules and regulations under which we were set up; maintaining records of shareholders, and researching and advising on any legislative requirements.  If you would like to think about offering your services we’ll come back to it at the end of my report.

Another major change during the year has been that of Shop Manager.  Nici Ward did a great job in helping us to achieve our 5* Food Hygiene Rating, streamlining our processes and procedures and in guiding us through our major shop refit.  Sadly for us, but of course excellently for her, she was successful in finding a new position with Champneys and left us to go to that last May.  I would like to say a very big thank you to Nici for all that you did for us, and we are delighted that you continue to help us through your role on the Shop Committee.

Luckily for the shop a few months later Ali Driver expressed interest in the role and was successful in achieving it, taking up her responsibilities at the beginning of November.  Coming in so close to Christmas certainly put her in at the deep end, but it was a challenge Ali met with great energy and enthusiasm.  Ali, as required by her role, is also a member of the Shop Committee. Welcome to our team Ali, it’s a real pleasure to have you take up the reins.

I’d like at this point to say a few more words of thanks for all the work Graham did for us. He played a very key role during our initial meetings and in setting up the shop.  Frankly, speaking for myself, I don’t know how he waded through all the detailed paperwork but I am very, very pleased that he did.  He also carried the main burden in setting up our Electronic Point of Sale System that has proved so useful in taking the business forward.  We have had very few issues with it since the day it went live, and that is a testament to the highly detailed work Graham undertook in getting it right in the first place.  Graham was also very good at keeping a sometimes maverick committee in line, and we are delighted therefore to have Doug with us now to so ably step in to Graham’s shoes.

I’d also like to say thanks at this point to Nici and subsequently Richard Fermont who took on one other task from Graham,   And I think I’m right in say a particularly thankless task, that of sorting out the newspaper vouchers with our supplier.  It’s a really vital part of the shop income but not exactly a task to set the pulses racing – unless it’s with frustration!

Taking a look  now our pool of volunteers, as always there have been a number of comings and goings over the year.  Sadly, in addition to Graham, we lost Elizabeth and Jane - although for the very best of reasons as they too have moved on to start new phases of their lives in other parts of the country.  Thankfully we have welcomed new volunteers to the team, Steve, Michelle, Elaine, Angela, Chiko, Katie and Alice, so our team continues to go from strength to strength.

Chiko, Katie and Alice, along with Sarah, are our students who generously give of their time to be an invaluable part of our weekend teams.

As always we are so grateful to all our volunteers for the time and energy they give to the shop – it simply would not exist without them.

What have been the highlights of the last 12 months?  As I said at the beginning it’s been a year of consolidation so our focus has been on the yearly cycle – Easter, Halloween and Christmas. Although who can forget our celebration of that well known festival – International Bacon Day!  We raised a fantastic amount of not only money but also food donations for the DENS Homeless Charity based in Hemel Hempstead.

Through it all business has remained steady and we continue to get great feedback from our customers which is always lovely to receive, particularly so when it’s from people passing through the village.  We received an email from one couple who were so impressed with our service and offer that they took the trouble to send it to say how much they had appreciated what we had to offer.  All this is testimony to the hard work performed by  a lot of people – in essence it’s all about being part of a vibrant community who clearly believe in putting in the time and effort to make things happen and to ensuring this is a great place to live.

Future Plans

What of the future? We have no great plans at the moment other than to continue to refine and develop our offer and also to maintain our 5* Rating.  We are, as always, grateful to Mike and Diane Armson for the continued use of our current premises.  We know that that will change one day and we will then have to put in a major effort into securing new premises but for the moment it’s definitely  sufficient until the day.

Once again I would like to remind us all of our objectives as a Community Shop:

·         To be, and be perceived to be, a community asset that is of benefit and value

·         A place that volunteers love to be involved with

·         A place that shoppers love to use, and

·         To make a profit that may be used for the benefit of the community

We continue to remain focused on meeting these objectives as we go forward into the future.

Finally, thanks to everyone for coming tonight and indeed for your continued support.  We, for our part, will continue to do our very best to provide you with the local facility that you deserve.    

Before I hand over to Jonathan for the Treasurer’s Report, could I ask if there is anyone who would like to undertake the secretary role?

As we have no takers Doug has very kindly offered to continue in the role and we will cover his election under Agenda item number 4.

Finally may I ask if you have any questions before I hand over to Jonathan?

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Volunteers Needed for Wilstone Fete

Could you join the small team of volunteers and build on the success of Wilstone fete?

Wilstone Village Fete has been an important contributor for funding for the village hall. More importantly is its role in the community, which has benefitted hugely from the efforts of a small number of volunteers. And its also great fun to get involved!

The fete chair, Jill Walker, is asking for some practical support for your fete.  If you want to join in Please let me, Jill Walker, know if you are prepared to help in some way. Do please call me on 07796 804044 or email jillmarywalker@btinternet.com

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Wilstone Shop in 1960

Photos taken by Ian Simms, whose aunts Lilah and Norah Ashley ran the shop at that time #ShopNews

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This month’s film on 19 February - tickets now available at Wilstone Community Shop

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Spectre - Village Hall Feb 19th

Wilstone Film Night - Flicks in the Sticks A cryptic message from the past sends James Bond on a rogue mission to Mexico City and eventually Rome, where he meets the beautiful and forbidden widow of an infamous criminal. Bond infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of the sinister organisation known as SPECTRE. 

8pm Friday February 19th. Doors open 7.15pm  Pick up your tickets from the village shop.