WHEN Downderry lost its only shop, the village didn’t just lose a place to buy bread and milk – it lost a vital piece of its everyday life.

Nearly three years on, that loss has been turned into one of Cornwall’s strongest examples of community power in action.

In the seaside village of Downderry, the closure of the local shop in September 2023 hit hard. For a community with a significant elderly population and limited transport links, the nearest alternatives were miles away. Convenience disappeared overnight. Connection went with it.

The response was swift. An open meeting at the Village Hall quickly overflowed, forcing organisers to turn people away. A community survey followed and delivered an emphatic verdict: Downderry wanted its shop back – and it wanted to run it together.

The journey was far from straightforward. Months of effort went into securing another premises, only for the plan to fall apart. “We tried very hard with one building,” said spokesperson Michelle Davies, “but for various reasons, it just didn’t work out.”

Then came an unexpected lifeline. “Out of the blue, the original shop building came up for sale,” she said. “A local guy bought it and offered the shop space to the community group – and we snapped his arm off.”

From that moment, the project shifted gears. In just eight and a half weeks, an exhausted, outdated shop was transformed into a modern community hub. Local tradespeople carried out the work. Volunteers filled the gaps. Donations poured in, everything from spare change to major contributions that helped push the project over the line.

The ambition grew along the way. This wasn’t just about reopening a shop. The village wanted something better. Today, the new space includes a café, a visiting post office twice a week and a flexible meeting point for local groups – restoring Downderry’s social heartbeat.

“We could have done the bare minimum,” Michelle said. “But we wanted it to look special and feel like it belonged to everyone.”

The scale of the effort is remarkable. A shop manager is supported by 74 volunteers, all giving their time to keep the doors open. Local people designed and built the website free of charge, while schoolchildren were invited to share their ideas on how the shop should look, ensuring the next generation had a stake in the village’s future.

Gordon Macrae, the project lead said: "Downderry has got its shop back, but it's got more than that, it's got a community hub that is the heart of the village and is going to help us grow and prosper into the future."

This latest success follows the landmark achievement of securing The Zone Health and Wellbeing Hub, another powerful example of Downderry’s community determination.

After months of uncertainty, residents successfully purchased the former Methodist Chapel, safeguarding a vital space that has supported village life since 2007.

Built on volunteer effort and local fundraising, The Zone continues to host wellbeing classes, youth sessions, social groups and activities for older residents, ensuring the historic building remains a thriving, community-owned hub at the heart of Downderry.