Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) received by the Campaign Group.

Purchase of the property
Q: If raising the money is going to take some time for the village to achieve, why haven’t we asked the Daw family to delay the auction?
A: We have to respect that fact that the Daw family have set a timetable for the sale that suits there priorities, and we cannot expect them to shift it.

Q: Why can’t the village just make an offer for just the shop part of the property?
A: The decision has been made to sell the property as a whole. There are many reasons why this is the most sensible route from the Daws point of view.

Community Shops
Q: Why do we think we can make a community shop successful when all the indications are that small local stores find it increasingly difficult to retain customers who are now used to supermarket shopping?
A: Firstly, we observe that even small shops can flourish if they really do everything possible to respond to the needs of their local customers. Secondly, the very fact that a shop becomes a community shop seems to boost its chances of survival and growth. People feel more responsible for making it work.

Q: Isn’t a shop run by a committee bound to be a disaster?
A: It seems to work best where the Manager has the authority to make all day to day decisions and can take the initiative to make improvements. This leaves the management committee, representing the community, with a responsibility to monitor business metrics and make longer term recommendations and investment decisions.
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Membership
Q: If we are all members, will we all have the right to say how we think the shop will be run?
A: The membership would be represented by the management committee, who would be responsible for listening to membership suggestions and making recommendations to the shop manager accordingly. On major decisions the views of the membership could be sought more formally.
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Campaign Group
Q: Do any of the campaign group members have any financial interest in the purchase or lease of the shop or the long term value of the shop?
A: No, apart from any contribution they may make, in the same way as anyone else in the community.
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The property
Q: Which parts of the shop are for sale?
A: The shop itself, the post office, the store rooms behind, the floors immediately above the shop and certain parts of the land immediately behind the building. Not Mrs Daws’ house or any other buildings in the row
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