Selborne Village Stores
Building a not-for-profit community shop in the heart of Selborne
We plan to establish a not-for-profit community shop that is open seven days per week on the Punfle Field in the centre of Selborne village.
The village shop will be housed in a bespoke timber-framed building designed by a leading architect and built by local craftspeople to sit sympathetically within the beautiful environment of the village and the wider landscape of the South Downs National Park.
Selborne had a commercially run village shop which closed in 2021. Our new community shop will operate as a not-for-profit enterprise run for community benefit. We are working closely with the Plunkett Foundation who specialise in supporting rural communities to establish successful community businesses. This model has proved very successful in other local villages including Ropley, Preston Candover, and Frensham.
In the context of the current cost-of-living and environmental crises, it is more important than ever to have access to local and affordable amenities. With the recent closure of East Tisted Village Shop, Selborne residents must now travel to Alton, Petersfield, Liss, or Four Marks to buy groceries in person.
The shop will sell local produce, fresh food, vegetables, meat, dairy, dry goods, soft drinks, wine & spirits and newspapers. And at some point in future, we hope to have a Post Office.
It will be run by a professional manager supported by local volunteers.
We have strong support from the village. 85% of respondents to our 2024 village survey were in support of a community shop opening on the Punfle site. 40 of our respondents offered to volunteer for the shop.
Run by the community, for the community.
Our Vision
The community shop will become a welcoming place where residents and visitors to Selborne can shop and chat, local artisans can show their work and volunteers can pick up new skills and be part of a community.
The shop will provide a wide range of goods and local produce and be open from early to late.
We’ll be working with good quality local producers, reducing food miles. Having a local shop will help to reduce car journeys to supermarkets. The shop will also provide a local delivery service to the house-bound.
We envisage the shop becoming a community information hub for the village and the surrounding area.
The shop will be staffed by local volunteers. Any surplus profit the community shop makes will go to improve the shop or be donated to local projects in Selborne and the surrounding areas.
Our Supporters
Become a Volunteer
Learn new skills, meet new people and feel being part of a community.
Get in Touch. Get Involved.
We look forward to hearing from you!