Appleton Community Shop

Yvonne SearClaire & Andrew SalmonFelicity DickJan MittyJohn WoodwardRuth & Tim ShercliffKeith StannersGerry DrewittJoy BarrettIris PaleMary & Mark BlakeRos & Gerry UrenWendy & Roger SmithSue ParkerJanet BuckleyMonica PriceStephanie StottSheila BurnellIris GrahamJudith & Graham RosePauline SnellingLorraine PageJune EdgingtonJenny MeadBarbara KimseyRobin Band

We are bound to have forgotten someone, please add any other names!

Vera PorterBill McCrackenJo de GorisJane CranstonMichael MittelHoward ThomasRupert Twiston-DaviesEve & Dave LocketNick & Sara WithersMarilyn MorrisMary CareyAnna & Kayhan YalciTammy DayHarry WebsterJulie CarterJulia HarrisonJames HarrisonTeresa McCarthyTricia ClaytonWanda ToddAmanda SmithTian DavidsonMargaret ReadingJane JackChris Hardin

Volunteers

Appleton Community Shop

ACSL Draft Budget Average Month Annual WeeklySalesGross Sales 17,429 209,152 4,022 VAT 732 8,784 169 Net Sales 16,697 200,368 3,853 Cost of SalesStock from the 0 0 0 ClaytonsSomerfield 2,995 35,937 691 Bookers 3,310 39,714 764 GW Shepherds 1,034 12,405 239 Mount Pleasant 430 5,163 99 Terry's 219 2,628 51 Michael Cain 328 3,936 76 Millets 299 3,591 69 Market Place 446 5,349 103 Stevens Garnier 217 2,604 50 Postage Stamps 97 1,161 22 Greetings Cards 120 1,434 28 Stationery 64 771 15 Newspapers 2,962 35,541 683 Brand Partners 34 40 58 Miscellaneous Stock 167 2,007 39PurchasesSherlock's Dry 81 972 19 CleaningWastage 161 1,929 37 Total Purchases 12,962 155,547 2,991

Appleton Community Shop

Opening Stock 8,500 8,500 8 Closing Stock 8,500 8,500 8,500 Total Cost of Sales 12,962 155,547 2,991 Gross Margin 3,735 44,821 862 Margin as percentage 22% 22% 22%of salesOperating ExpensesPromotional Costs 0 0 0 Rates 0 0 0 Other Property exps. 10 120 2 Shop Equipment 8 90 2 Equipment Maint. 48 573 11 Intruder Alarm 20 240 5 Shop Cleaning 5 63 1 Sundry Expenses 24 282 5 Gross Pay 1,483 17,793 342 Casual Staff Wages 641 7,689 148 Employer's NI 84 1,004 19 Telephone 41 492 9 Postage 4 48 1 Stationery 82 987 19 Insurance 44 528 10 Electricity 184 2,212 43 Other Office Expenses 0 0 0 Travel 0 0 0 Legal & Professional 29 350 7 Company Formation 0 0 0 ExpenseRent 363 4,350 84 Manager's Salary 667 8,000 154 Total operating exps. 3,735 44,821 86

Appleton Community Shop

Volunteers serving in the shop

From 1st May opening, volunteers have worked approximately

50 - 60 hours a week. We always have times that we need to fill

and at the moment particularly need volunteers serving in the shop on:

Saturday for two - four hours between 9.00am - 3.00pm.

Sunday to help with the papers for a couple of hours

Weekdays the odd couple of hours particularly Friday afternoon

Newspapers Volunteers

We have at present 8 volunteers doing papers Monday to Sunday - we start at 6.00am on Weekdays and at 7.00am on Sundays. Two

people work each morning. We currently deliver to 140 houses daily.

14 hours a week are spent merely collating papers and magazines but this does not include the huge amount of hours spent getting the returns sorted out, the accounts done or indeed the deliveries for which we have 6 paper boys and girls in Appleton and two mothers in Eaton

.

Appleton Community Shop

Volunteers working with other stockists and suppliers Currently we buy stock for the shop from approximately

12 - 14 suppliers (including the Co-op, Bookers and newspapersand magazines) to supply fresh fruit and vegetables, stationery, cards, wine and beers, tights and socks, and the daily deliveries from the baker, butcher and dairy.

This requires a lot of work by volunteers visiting suppliers,ordering, pricing and in some cases collecting the goods.

It is difficult to estimate how long this takes each volunteer but buyingin fresh fruit and vegetables alone requires 3 volunteers in

7-9 hours per week

Management volunteersWe had hoped to appoint a part-time manager and advertised in theAutumn. However, we had a very limited response - probably becausethe duties were rather daunting when written down and the pay prettyterrible!

The Management team meets informally every Friday morning and there is an open monthly meeting to which everyone is welcome.

We would very much welcome some new recruits tospread the workload.Please contact anyone at the shopor in the management group.

Appleton Community Shop

In order to start trading when the shop was taken over on 1st May, a trading company had to be set up as quickly as possible to be able to open accounts with suppliers particularly the Newspaper groups. Thus Appleton Community Shop Limited was formed. A number of people volunteered to be directors but there are plans to change the composition of the company. This can be done when the amount of expenditure is clearer for the next stage. Until plans are finalised on the premises and the costs involved become known, the management group will continue for the time being. However, the group is flexible and extremely keen to encourage others to become involved with the running of the shop. ALL MEETINGS ARE OPEN - PLEASE DO COME ALONG

The group is also aware that there should be:

• Annual nominations for members of the management group• Allocation of profits (if any!!)• Reinvesting in business• Any policy decisions relating to stockists, pricing policy, etc.

BACKGROUND

Appleton Community Shop

The Co-op arrangement

We have now made arrangements with the Co-op to supply uswith groceries. This is for several reasons but mainly because:

•:Convenience - finding volunteers to drive to Witney 2-3 times a week was proving difficult

• storage - this will be reduced when the alterations have been made

• ethos - seems to be very close to what we are trying to achieve

We would like to thank CO-OP for their support and very helpful attitude to starting business with them. We are confident that the arrangement will work well.

However, we would also like to thank Somerfields for all their help in getting the Community shop up and running - without their help and support we would would probably not be in business at all!

Appleton Community Shop

THE FUTURE OF THE APPLETON COMMUNITY SHOP AND POST OFFICE

PLANS TO KEEP SHOP ON PRESENT PREMISES

Great news! Following recent discussions with Rod and Tricia Clayton, they have agreed to lease the present shop premises to the Appleton Community Shop. We would all like to express our appreciation and thanks to Rod and Tricia for their agreement to this arrangement and we can now move forward.

We are also appreciative of the support of The Officers and Members of Vale of White Horse District Council, who entered into negotiations to purchase Ken Langford’s Saddler’s Shop. As the two parties did not reached an agreement, and in order to settle the current uncertainty, we felt it was in the communities’ interest to come to an agreement with Rod and Tricia.

Appleton Community Shop

There are challenges still ahead: -

Business: It was always anticipated the business would be “not for profit” and that is exactly what has been occurring. Over ten months, about £3,000 trading profit has been made. So: there are major financial challenges ahead on the trading front.

Layout: Plans will be drawn up to make structural changes to incorporate a cloakroom, washing facilities, preparation area and a stock room: the area Rod and Tricia are leasing to the Community Shop is the office and shop. THERE WILL BE SOME BUILDING COSTS! Grants and loans will be sought, because the business cannot afford major expenditure: WE WILL NEED YOUR HELP – and when we know how much, we will make a formal appeal!

The generosity of people from Appleton, Eaton and Besselsleigh has been terrific: with the initial appeal, donations of nearly £11,000 have been received – and the bank balance is somewhat close to this figure! In other words, the donations have meant we have not had to go “cash negative”. So, we have passed the early tests of sustainability and operated the business for just over six months. The volunteers have been fantastic and the business could not have survived without their enthusiastic assistance.

We are all most grateful to Rod and Tricia Clayton.

CHALLENGES