Worth SAVING

Three readers talk about coming together to rescue vital community assets

- CATHERINE LARNER

‘Making a difference is what keeps me going’

Mel Cooper, 56, lives in Brackley, Northamptonshire. She is the manager of Westbury Community Shop and Cafe.

I first came here for a coffee, seven years ago. I thought then that I would love to be a part of what they do here, but I didn’t have the time. Then the pandemic happened. I was furloughed, so I applied to do 20 hours a week. The role grew and they asked me to stay on as manager.

Westbury is a lovely, friendly village between Brackley and Buckingham, and a six-minute drive from where I live. There’s no pub, no post office, just us, really. There are probably about 500 people living here.

It started 10 years ago as a tea shop selling a small amount of local produce. In Covid, it became the hub of the community — it was where everyone wanted to meet. We’re in a purpose-built hall on the edge of a cricket field. We run a cafe outside and in the main hall (when it’s not used for exercise classes or nursery groups). We do takeaways on Friday nights and barbecues in the summer. People pop in for a bag of flour or sugar for emergencies, and there are some who will use us rather than the supermarket. We’re open six days a week.

The hours are long and it does take over your life. On my days off, I can be placing orders or dealing with customer enquiries. But the shop has brought me such joy. We make time to chat to people and we’re the first place children spend their pennies on sweeties. We teach young people how to interact with customers, and we offer work experience to students with special educational needs or disabilities at a nearby school.

If we can make a difference to one person, to make their day a little better, that’s what keeps me going.