History
The Cornish Arms pub next to the Church was demolished in 1902 and rebuilt as a Village Stores / Post Office.
On 31 March 2019, the present owners of the Village Stores (PL12 6TD) wrote to the Clerk of St Dominic Parish Council to inform her they intended to close the St Dominic Post Office and Village Stores in the near future. Their letter includes the following: “Post Office Ltd require three months notice of resignation but, before we submit, we feel it only right the Parish Council has the opportunity to consider alternative provision, most likely by way of a community shop”. The Post Office Ltd has subsequently informed customers the St Dominic branch “will be closing temporarily on Wednesday 09 October 2019”.
Village Debate. Two Public meetings were held in the Parish Hall on 1st and 16th May 2019, which were well attended. During these meetings, a lot of positive support was expressed around the idea of setting up and running a Community Shop within the Village. A Steering Group was formed to explore available options.
Parish Questionnaire. A questionnaire was developed and delivered to every household with the Parish Newsletter in June 2019 to ascertain whether or not a St Dominic Community Shop would be supported by the resident population. There was an overwhelming response to site it in the vicinity of the Parish Hall.
A Steering Group was formed and has held monthly meetings since the end of May 2019. A Constitution has been established and contact made with The Plunkett Foundation. A local adviser has attended the Steering Group meetings and is available for local support and guidance.
The Steering Group decided to operate as a Community Benefit Society (CBS). St Dominick Community Shop Limited (registration number 8227) is registered under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014. This ‘model’ allows anyone to use the shop and every time money is so spent, customers are contributing to building a surplus that can, in due course, be spent on Village needs and for the greater benefit of all within the Village. It is understood a CBS is a way of creating a Community Asset and a source of future finances for the benefit of the Community and that where villages have closed an existing commercial shop, the transition to a CBS Community-run shop has proven a positive ‘community investment’.
It is intended that such an Asset that will become an important part of life within the St Dominic Village Community.