Blinds, Banks and Solicitors

Surrey Blinds and Awnings (formerly Brockham Blinds) are more than pleased to consider sponsoring an awning and shop sign - watch this space. Lloyds TSB are very keen to continue helping the venture and we are meeting them next week to discuss fine detail. Our solicitors are now in correspondence regarding the lease, and Mole Valley's legal department is sorting out the 106 Agreement that binds the penny-a-year rent. ViRSA has confirmed that our registration documents are being processed by the FSA - so all the official stuff is falling into place. Don't forget to let your neighbours and friends know about this blog - it keeps everyone up to date!

Other shops, other examples

We visited Mannings Heath and Rusper today to look at their community shops. Both are thriving, but they are very different examples of the genre. We came away with lots of advice and ideas! We had a meeting with Bob Pritchard today who looked at the shop front and layout for us. He had several ideas about how to maximise the internal space, and will help us with the planning application. There will be a lot of practical work to do ...
As regards next week's mailshot, Distributor Extraordinaire is on the case. Don't make him laugh! We need Leigh distributors as Leigh is so spread out.
Megan Aspel and Jo Songhurst have both agreed to be on the Management Committee - many thanks!!

The More the Merrier!

We're looking forward to receiving advice on Thursday from local architect Bob Pritchard, who is coming to see the shop front with us - we need a good new look! Also Tony from Brockham Blind Co is coming to look at the fascia for us this week. Nick Green has agreed to use his expertise by helping us with the setting up of the IT in the shop. And Jane Holmes is compiling a list of her 'stuffers' - people who can collate the mail-out next week and stuff the envelopes. Unfortunately our Distributor Extraordinaire decided to fall on his chest while skiing last week and is nursing cracked ribs so the distribution is going to need a few more helpers..... hope you feel better soon, Simon! x

Post Office

We are very pleased that John Washtell, parish councillor and former district councillor, has agreed to research the Alternative Post Office, as we like to call it. We have been given quite a bit of information from Alan Wyle and ViRSA about this. Anyone interested in reading about how other villages cope without post offices can look at the Gloucestershire example on www.virsa.org - the website is a mine of information and its shop directory is full of case studies of other community shops.

Amy's sale

Saw Amy last night during her furniture sale - she was delighted as her stock was flying out of the door! She has another sale day on Saturday and again next week, Thurs and Sat. The shop is looking much emptier!
We've had a great meeting with those working on fund-raising - full of ideas. The Big Mailshot is getting closer and we're working hard on that. Meanwhile we've got to come up with ideas for a new shop-front, ready for the planning application to go into MVDC.
Two computers are arriving today, donated by Surrey Community Action. They are a few years old but have been cleaned off and are ready for use. We could do with some furniture to put them on! Anybody got anything usable?

More recruits!

Things are moving fast and people are working hard on various tasks. Jo Songhurst is going to help with fund-raising and Alison Owen is going to help with the database that will be set up when we get our first share-holders. Jane Warren is going to lend us her many years' marketing experience and Gordon Saxby is building the website - www.theshopatstroodgreen.co.uk .
Claire Bryant has agreed to talk to Alan Wyle (Village Shop Adviser) about his Crop for the Shop ideas - this is a concept that is being carried forward by community shops as a way of helping provide sustainable environmentally friendly living within villages and communities. Megan Aspel is working hard on the first grant application (Village CORE Programme).
There is an enormous amount to do and more people are needed!!
We've had our first offer of a donation and the application form is nearly ready, should anyone else be feeling the need to get their chequebooks out! Just contact us by email or by responding to this blog.

Progress report

Talented local artist Tania Coffey has agreed to look at designing the logo for the shop - we are so very grateful to have this sort of support.
We are moving closer to the issuing of shares - due to start 9th March. There will be several Sale days before then at the shop, when Amy (current occupant) will endeavour to shift the furniture stock. It's worth a look! she has some nice pieces.
David Hall who runs the excellent Leigh village website has been in touch and is now featuring Strood Green shop news on the website. This is great news as Leigh was very supportive last time round.
Today Amy gave us a key to the shop, to help us when we want to post our bulletins in the window or have shopfitters in for estimates etc. It was quite a moment, after the long history of this campaign, to have that little piece of metal handed over so sweetly!

Progress

Great news - Gordon Saxby has agreed to organise a website for us. We are delighted that a really exceptional team of people is gathering around us! Please give us some feedback on this blog - it keeps us going - or email us.
The shop is due to be emptied of furniture by 9 March which is the date we are setting for our 'Open Day' and when we will start the process of issuing shares. In the next few weeks an application will go into Mole Valley DC for a new shopfront - the old one is in a pretty awful state and we also need disabled access (you have to step up into the shop at the moment).
Fundraising is an urgent issue - we don't want our loan overheads to be too high before we start.

Urgent tasks

Correction to last blog - Jo Songhurst has actually volunteered to set up the database and also is investigating the possibility of a Quiz Night fund-raiser - fantastic.
Is anyone interested in spending an hour or so designing a share certificate? We are getting a master from ViRSA for the wording, but we just want it to look good. They are becoming collector's items and people have been known to frame them! We need them printed by
7th March latest, so this is now getting urgent.
Also someone creative might like to come up with a logo that we can use on certain products and stationery. There is a large ash tree on the green, and the buildings are predominantly 1930s, so maybe a stylised version of a tree and a 1930s gable??? Maybe someone will have a better idea of how to represent Strood Green!

Today Strood Green, tomorrow the world!

Very cheered by good article in the Dorking Advertiser even though it was p.37! We finished the mailings to previous contributors so everyone should have their letters by the weekend. Recruited more volunteers: Ali Griffiths, Alix Smith, Jo Songhurst, Jane Hoggarth, Joy Huxley are all helping distribute the letters this time and - BIG STAR! - Simon Goddard has agreed to organise the next distribution which will be a whopper as it will be the share application forms for the entire villages of Brockham and Leigh. (We love you Simon! xx)
On a more serious note we have also sent off our application forms today to register the Association as an Industrial and Provident Society.

VOLUNTEERS!!

We have some wonderful new volunteers on board. Jane Mahony has agreed to work on publicity, and has contacted the Dorking Advertiser with a comprehensive press release for an article for this week's edition. Megan Aspel has agreed to work on grant applications and is preparing a template application at the moment. Paula Mitas has agreed to lend her eye for style and come up with some ideas for the interior. Charlie Goodship has agreed to help with the electrics .... We hope to add a few more names to this list by the end of the week.

WE NEED:

• someone artistic to design a share certificate (along the lines of old bank or rail certificates)
• someone prepared to design and help maintain a database
• someone to design a website
• help with research - into funding, regulations, other community shop ideas
• help with mailings and distribution
• painters, decorators, builders, floorlayers
• fund-raising ideas and fundraisers
• someone to contact all the local organisations and seek sponsorship

We are starting with a clean slate! All that we have inherited are two greetings-card holders and an ice-cream freezer. We need everything and anything - even a fire-extinguisher! This makes it more exciting - don't you agree?

This is just the start!

Today we had a meeting with Alan Wyle, the Village Shop Adviser from Surrey Community Action. He was full of ideas for the shop and all the community activities it can host. We've started our project management system and have a daunting list of jobs to do. So we will be ringing and knocking on doors to find people that can help. If we have enough enthusiastic individuals who are prepared to put in a little time, and use their own particular skills, we shall be able to pull this off.
It will become a place we are all proud of!