AT a time when many villages are struggling to hang on to their local amenities, the village of Steeple Ashton near Trowbridge has bucked the trend and operates a thriving community shop.

Owned and run by the villagers themselves since 2005, it provides for the needs of local residents who would otherwise have to travel five or six miles to supermarkets in Melksham or Trowbridge.

The chairman of the shop management committee has thrown his weight behind the Wiltshire Times and Chippenham News’ Support Your Local campaign, calling on people to support their local businesses during the credit crunch.

John Aeberhard said: “Local shops need this kind of support, so good for the Wiltshire Times & Chippenham News! “Our community-owned and operated shop is representative of a move within Wiltshire towards a self-help approach to sustaining a local convenience store.

“But we’re also a sign of the times in the sense that we are only profitable because, essentially, we run on volunteer help.”

The shop was launched in the former village school with a £57,000 rural renaissance grant and £12,500 from villagers’ own pockets.

It is open seven days a week, usually from 7.30am to 5.30pm, and has two paid staff who work 40 hours a week. The rest of the time is covered by volunteers from the village.

The shop sells all the sorts of things you would expect to find in a village store, but it also has a coffee shop and offers a range of other services such as dry cleaning, shoe repairs, a post office once a week and computing services. There is even a book club.

Mr Aeberhard says it has been responsible for renewing a sense of community spirit in the village and has anecdotal evidence from estate agents that it can add up to 10 per cent to the value of property in the village.

But he says it is still a struggle to generate a profit and the shop has only survived because the village is determined to support it.

“Local stores around the country are closing at a rate of 50 a week for good reason – because it’s a very competitive business,” he said.

“We can survive and thrive but only on the basis that the community wants this facility and is prepared to support it by working very hard and offering their time freely.

“If local shops were to go it would be the most vulnerable who would be hit the hardest.”