Project Timeline
Christmass 2022
News of award of £200,000 by the UK Government Community Ownership Fund from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities…
2023 Milestones
The journey begins.
June
8th June: Community Share Offer raises over £50,000 from local people in 6 weeks – more than 300 individuals buy shares.
July
Application to Welsh government for support from Community Facilities Programme goes to panel.
August
11th August: All Community Facilities Programme (CFP) awards frozen.
24th August: Regional MS for North Wales, Llyr Gruffydd MS visits the shop to find out about impact of delay in CFP funding.
September
Welsh government announces release of £200,000 Community Facilities Programme funding to the project – the building can be bought.
October
11th October: Well attended Public Meeting in Llandyrnog Village Hall to bring the community up to date.
Expressions of Interest invited from architects and project management services.
November
Emyr Morris attends No10 Downing Street reception representing the project with Dr James Davies, constituency MP.
An appeal for local volunteers finds a highly experienced construction project manager willing to donate his time and skills.
December
Development of work packages for distribution to trades for competitive tender well underway.
2024 Milestones
Llandyrnog Shop and Post Office returns.
January
25th January: Key members of project team passed vetting with The Post Office – process of re-establishing a village Post Office begins.
February
9th February: Purchase of community asset completed – £110,000 of the £249,000 purchase price coming from COF.
13th February: News that bid to Brenig Wind Limited Community Benefit Fund successful – a further £22,386 awarded predominantly in response to previously unknown significant capital costs of re-establishing the Post Office and costs of architects.
March
6th March: Purchase covered in Denbighshire Free Press with photographs.
14th March: Parliamentary Secretary of State felicity Buchan MP, from Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities visits the shop with constituency MP Dr James Davies.
April
17th April: Another positive Public Meeting in Llandyrnog Village Hall including introduction of newly recruited Director with postal industry experience.
May
Local recruitment advertising begins to look for two shop managers.
July
Provisional offers of employment made to two local applicants and Post Office vetting begins.
August
Post Office vetting and DBS checks all clear, offers of employment confirmed.
27th August: First shop manager starts work and embarks upon Food Hygiene, Licensing, First Aid and Post Office training necessary to enable shop to open.
September
17th September: Llandyrnog Community Council petitioned to provide a donation of £5,000 towards to project in the final crucial weeks before opening – donation awarded by unanimous vote.
19th September: Post Office personnel onsite installing equipment and technology to re-establish Post Office services.
October
8th October: Inaugural AGM of The Llandyrnog Community Shop Limited attended by more than 60 shareholders.
10th October: Post Office Counter services reopen for business. First transaction is the banking of the Llandyrnog Community Council donation cheque by Director Viv Rosser.
November
1st November: Shop visited by local MP Becky Gittins.
10th November: first breakfast baps sold on a Sunday morning.
December
12th – 13th December: North Wales artisan signwriter finishes the shop front.
Statistics sourced from Community Shops: A better form of business 2021 report (Plunkett Foundation, 2021)