Our two Halloween Pumpkin Carving Workshops were a huge success last month. Both workshops sold out and everyone had a lot of fun. Have a look at the photos below of the amazing pumpkin creations!
Keen an eye out for our next events in the shop.
Category: Uncategorized
Nominations for Shop Management Committee now open
With the Annual Members Meeting now scheduled – 7.30pm on Monday 29th of November at the Village Hall – we can now accept nominations for the Management Committee.
Any member of Bishop Wilton Community Shop Ltd can nominate any other member for the shop Management Committee. Nominations must be submitted by 5.30pm on the 9th of November 2021.
The Management Committee runs the shop on behalf of the members for the benefit of the community. A wide range of skills and experience are required to run a successful committee and the more representative it is of the community the better.
To nominate a member please complete this online form.
If you would like to discuss the Committee Member role with the team or ask any other questions, please contact us here.
Save the date: Annual Members Meeting 2021
The 2021 Annual Members Meeting will be held on Monday the 29th of November at 7.30pm in the Village Hall. Please add the date to your diary and look out for more details early November.
All members are welcome and there is still time to register as a new member if you would like to attend and be a part of the membership.
This is a chance for all members to be updated on the progress of the shop, hear the future plans and also have their say on key issues. If members have been nominated for the committee there will also be a member vote on this.
All nominations for members for the management committee should be made before the 9th of November.
We look forward to seeing you all on the 29th of November!
We are looking for marketing volunteers
Are you looking to gain marketing experience & skills? Are you already a marketing pro who would like to support the Bishop Wilton community?
We are looking for volunteers who can support our marketing efforts. Our marketing team help us ensure the community is happy with the shop, help us communicate news and help bring the community together.
What would you be doing?
We are looking for individuals who can help us create content and also handle the management of our online communications.
Key tasks include:
- Managing our social media presence (Facebook & Instagram)
- Scheduling and posting content on our social media channels and website
- Helping write content such as social media posts, blogs, web pages, flyers etc.
- Tracking and reporting on key marketing metrics
- Email mailing list management and campaigns
What skills and experience do you need?
If you have previous marketing experience that would be great, but we also have an experienced marketing team who could train someone up who is looking to learn. This would suit a marketing professional or someone who is looking to gain some experience & skills.
If you can use Facebook, Instagram, have good written English and are passionate about the Bishop Wilton community then you have everything you need!
How would it work?
This is a voluntary role and you would provide two to four hours a week. The role can be performed remotely, but the team does meet in the shop or in Bishop Wilton for meetings occasionally (so being local would be beneficial).
The team has a weekly meeting to discuss key focus for the weeks and months ahead and then each individual works on their areas of responsibility. Outside of the weekly call, the tasks can be performed whenever works.
Why volunteer with us?
The Bishop Wilton Community Shop has been a great success and is a lot of fun. It is a great way to give back to and be a part of providing a vital service to the community.
This is also a great way to gain experience and skill in marketing, retail and community enterprises.
How do I apply?
If you are keen to apply or want more information please complete the contact form here – https://bwcommunityshop.co.uk/contact.
One Year On: A look back at our first year
The year 2020 was pretty tough; from COVID lockdowns to the joys of ‘home learning’, it was enough to send the best of us running for those Yorkshire Wolds. But amidst loo-roll buying frenzies and the many hardships we faced, Bishop Wilton villagers united to open their linchpin of village life. Today we celebrate the shop’s first birthday with a look back on the best moments of 2020.
One: Funding
After the Bishop Wilton community lost the previous shop in June 2018 the village came together to launch this much-needed service. We were able to raise a huge amount of funds from shares, grants and donations which allowed for the shop’s transformation; Stripping back the old building and exposing original beams, we installed new lighting and have now created a space that our community has throughly enjoyed over the last year.
Two: Our members and volunteers
With 232 community members, mainly from the local area but some as far afield as Switzerland, Malaysia and Australia, we were able to work with the church, the school and the village hall throughout the COVID pandemic to provide essential services to all who needed it. The shop was even used by the Plunkett Foundation as a case study example of how communities united during the challenging times of 2020. See here https://plunkett.co.uk/community-shop-shows-innovation-and-adaptability-to-keep-serving-amid-covid-19/
The commitment from the volunteers during an unsettled first year has been resolute. Sixty-eight active volunteers ensured that the shop remained opened throughout the COVID pandemic and not one shift went uncovered. With a total of 2,215 shifts at 2.5 hours per shift, shop volunteers have covered 5,537.5 hours since first opening on 30th January 2020!
Three: Our local area
In a year where the village’s sports clubs, pub and church were all forced to close, the shop provided residents with a sense of community and togetherness and the service was vital for many of those shielding and self-isolating. Multiple fantastic local suppliers ensured that the shop’s shelves remained fully stocked and allowed the shop to provide its vital service through a very unsettled period.
Four: Bishop Wilton in the news
We received some fantastic press and media coverage, the shop featured on the front cover of the Pocklington Post twice and the front cover of the Parish Pump many times, as well as having multiple radio appearances and even achieving national media coverage! See here: https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/18319037.no-panic-buying—say-bishop-wilton-community-shop/
Five: Our future
As we enter our second year, the beginnings of the Bishop Wilton Careers Programme are underway. The programme is designed to help local students demonstrate work experience and training and thus gain employment. The shop looks forward to re-starting high-quality training and local supplier events and will be opening our wonderful cafe as soon as the restrictions allow.
After a turbulent first year and as we celebrate this little community shop’s first birthday, we want to send a big thank you to all of our community for the unwavering support throughout 2020 and we look forward to many more years of success to come.
Follow us on:
Facebook: @bwcommunityshop
Instagram: @bishopwiltonshop
Café/Takeaways Update
Our café will not be fully opened until Covid-19 restrictions have been significantly relaxed – and who knows when that will be?! There is simply not the space in the shop to maintain any sort of social distancing if we try to operate the café and the shop together at this moment in time.
We do, however, still have lots of cold drinks and a range of ice creams and snacks to take away or eat outside.
We cannot do hot drink takeaways for the time being due to restrictions behind the counter and in order to keep the flow for customers without causing big queues but we will keep this under review.
Cafe area is now closed
Following latest government guidance, we have now closed the cafe area of the shop until further notice. Tea, coffee and pre-packed biscuits will still be available to take away.
The Shop During the Coronavirus Outbreak
It is our aim to keep the shop open in the village to provide you with supplies during this time.
It may not always be full opening hours or fully stocked but we will do our best.
We will follow government guidance and up-to-date shop announcements will be made via social media or a poster in the shop window.
We need to keep the shop as safe as possible. So, please do not come in the shop if you have coronavirus symptoms of a persistent cough or high temperature or if have been in close contact with someone who has symptoms or has been told to self-isolate.
Please follow the government guidelines for self-isolation and keep up with regular hand washing.
If you need support during self-isolation, the shop is also part of a newly formed village group working to help the village during the coronavirus outbreak.
We can offer a delivery service to those needing to self-isolate, just ring
the shop on 01759 369 774 or email bwvillagegroup@gmail.com
If you need assistance in getting items from Pocklington, please contact Sarah Berry on 01759 368 606 or email bwvillagegroup@gmail.com
Rev Linda Munt is happy to collect prescriptions, and although church
services have regrettably had to be suspended, Linda is always available
for a chat. Please call 01759 369 974.
Derek Black is available to help with odd jobs. Feel free to get in touch via the vicarage on 01759 369 974.
Grand Opening Cancelled
Due to the coronavirus restrictions currently in place across the country, it is not possible for this event to go ahead.
It’s disappointing but we believe that it’s the right thing to do in the situation. I’m sure we’ll plan another event when all this is over.
Annual Members’ Meeting (AMM) 2020 Coronavirus Postponement
Following the Government’s guidance on public gatherings during the coronavirus outbreak, the management committee has decided to postpone the Annual Members’ Meeting that had been scheduled for 31 March 2020. We now propose to hold the Annual Members’ meeting towards the end of 2020.
We have taken this decision as we feel it is our responsibility to support national efforts to control and minimise the spread of the illness. We also want to be sure that all those members who would wish to come to the meeting are not discouraged by concerns about risks to their health.