In 1997, the then owner of Limpsfield Memorial Stores and Post Office had decided that he could no longer continue the running of the business and it looked like Limpsfield would be left without its Post Office and general store.
Our SOS (Save Our Stores) meeting was held in January 1998. Over 200 people attended, and a proposal to take over the business on behalf of the community was agreed.
Under the chairmanship of John Tolley, a business plan was developed and £45,000 raised to get the business off the ground. The initial funding came largely from local people willing to advance interest free loans (£28,000), from gifts (£12,000) and from grants of £5,000 from the Rural Development Commission and Limpsfield Parish Council.
Community owned: £10 shares were sold to supporters of the proposals and they then became members of the Limpsfield Village Stores Association. In addition, a separate interest bearing loan for just over £40,000 was raised from a local supporter, enabling us to buy the freehold of the property.
In May 1999, with financial backing in place and the support, involvement and work of so many local people, Memorial Stores was refurbished, restocked and relaunched. Since then, we have gone from strength to strength.
There are now over 44 volunteers in the shop, and 10 in the post office, plus 2 students per academic year, working towards their Duke of Edinburgh awards.
Today the business is thriving. Over the years we’ve improved the range of products we sell with a special emphasis on using and selling locally sourced produce.
The Post Office has survived the rounds of cuts and closures and continues to be a major and integral part of our business.
Membership of the Limpsfield Village Stores Association stands at over 320 – a clear indication of the strength of local support. Impressively, all money borrowed has been repaid.
Despite the fluctuating economic climate and competition from the big supermarkets, shoppers continue to use our shop and post office in good numbers, demonstrating their desire to “keep it local”.
The success of the Limpsfield Memorial Stores however isn’t just about its bottom line. We are at the heart of the village, not only somewhere local and convenient to shop, but also where there’s a friendly and welcoming face behind the counter.
Thanks to the generosity of the original investors, the hard work and enthusiasm of the many volunteers, manager and other staff, we are one of Limpsfield Village’s biggest assets, and are registered as a local “Asset of Community Value” by Tandridge District Council.
In 1998, at one of the public meetings, it was said that the business should be a “Centre of Village Life” and we believe that’s exactly what we’ve achieved…
Limpsfield Memorial Stores & Post Office 