New community hub is the 'heart of the village'

A community hub has opened in the centre of the seaside village of Downderry in Cornwall which had been feeling the loss of its original shop almost three years ago.

The new shop includes a cafe and a visiting post office twice a week and it is hoped to provide a meeting place for groups.

Local people have designed, built and created a website all free of charge with the inclusion of local schoolchildren who had a lot to say about how it should look.

Gordon Macrae, the project lead said: "Downderry has got its shop back but it's got more than that, it's got a community hub that is the heart of the village and is going to help us grow and prosper into the future."

About 70 volunteers have put themselves forward to work shifts in the hub.

Volunteer Catherine Jaycock explained the impact the closure of the original shop had.

"It was quite devastating to quite a large part of our community that relied on our shop," she said.

"Not just for buying their food items but for day to day coming in and having a little chat.

"It means quite a lot to me because once again we've got it back, we've also got a lovely cafe now so people can come in and sit down and socialise which is going to be great."

Fellow volunteer Caroline Stephen said: "We do have quite a lot of senior people in the village who are not able to drive so they really relied on coming to the centre of the village to get their essentials."

Yvonne Biles said she did have a car but it was preferable to walk to the shop.

"It's a great relief to have a shop back in the village, I shall come here regularly," she said.

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