The Dryslwyn Community Shop and Post Office is looking forward to its future, after holding its first face-to-face AGM since before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The shop is planning its ‘Siop Newydd’ project, when the members look to start fundraising for a newly built shop, with the hopes that the shop can expand and provide more opportunities in the community.
The project dominated much of the AGM. One of the project co-ordinators, Nigel Jones, said: “We’re currently in the late planning application stage. Comments on the Planning Portal of CCC have been more than encouraging and helpful.
“Now we need to move forward so we can start fundraising for a new built shop that allows us to expand and provide more opportunities for the community.”
Rosetta Plummer, another project co-ordinator, said: “Regulations are much tighter than before, so these new high standards must be met, but where there is a will there is a way.
“Our focus is now on working with community groups in the area to make sure they can benefit from our new building.”
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“Financially, the shop is holding its own,” said the shop’s financial director Chris Plummer.
“2021/2022 was still affected by the pandemic. It changed the way we run the business but also changed customer habits.
“We had a peak during Covid and then slowed down a bit. But we have reached a plateau and haven’t dropped since.
“Problems are the space restrictions and energy efficiency in the current shop. Predicting the expected price volatility will be difficult. The new shop must be more sustainable and energy efficient.”
Other topics mentioned at the AGM included the retirement of volunteer co-ordinator Michele Powell, who has run the shop the seven years, and the reception of the 2021 Queens Award for Voluntary Service.
The board of directors welcomed Monica French, and after an election also Sue Young to the board, and Christoph Fischer as the new volunteer coordinator.
Christoph said: “It’s an absolute pleasure to be working in the shop.
“The shop can be proud of all its achievements for the community and our volunteers are an absolute delight to work with.”
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