Welcome to the first edition of the Parracombe Community Trust Quarterly newsletter for 2024, which aims to bring you the latest news, updates and events from each project / committee.
So grab a cuppa, and read on to find out what’s been happening over the last few months…
What’s new at the Pavilion Shop and Cafe?
The Pavilion Stores and Café, our Community shop in Parracombe, continues to go from strength to strength. Sales figures have been stronger than expected from January to March this year showing that our shop is providing essential needs for our local community, outside of holiday season. The Pavilion Stores and Café relies on local people buying from us regularly. We would like to extend our thanks to all of our loyal customers as always. Our aim continues to be that sales revenue covers our expenditure with any small profits made being either invested back in the business or for Community assets.
Customers enjoyed the Community Cuppa Hour, funded by Devon Council, during January and February. People were able to buy a hot drink for £1 while enjoying a friendly and social welcome in warm surroundings.
Our unflappable Café Manager has been busy providing many different types of savoury and sweet offerings in our Café, working alongside and in liaison with our wonderful Shop Managers. From cheese and leek pasties, quiche, homemade soup and cheese scones to lemon and blueberry cake, marmalade and chocolate shortbread, banana and date loaf to name but a few. We have invested in a new oven which will be in place soon for even more delicious items to be cooked in house.
We were so pleased with the response to the survey carried out in January with 97% of customers recommending the shop to others. Please find attached the link to the responses summary and our next steps which we are currently working on. If you would be interested in joining the working group for budget priced items, please do not hesitate to get in touch, either by popping into the shop or messaging on Facebook. There is also a new postbox where you can post suggestions anytime.
In response to customer feedback, we have already bought new comfy chairs and tables to extend the seating in the café, reduced the price of our milk and trialled some new store products.
Our Community shop is only as successful as it is due to the commitment of our amazing volunteers. Paying additional staff over and above our Managers would quickly render the business unprofitable. Most of our volunteers work in the shop on a regular shift, be it weekly or monthly. We also have volunteers who are available to pick up shifts if someone is ill or away. Other volunteers provide planting for the patio area or are available to mend and maintain our buildings. We are always looking for more volunteers so if you think you could help in any of the following areas, please get in touch: accounting, marketing, buying, rota management, working in the shop, maintenance, community support to name but a few…
More details in our attached Volunteer Pack.
We are holding a Volunteer Spring Working Party on Sunday 21st April at 1pm where we are aiming to spring clean the shop both inside and out. If you would like to support, please come along and opt for a job – you will also be able to chat to our current band of volunteers who can tell you all about their role.
And of course, we must mention our foray into fame with our appearance on BBC’s Countryfile in February. If you haven’t already watched, it is still available on iPlayer. Its about halfway through the snowdrops episode from 18th Feb. Tune in to see some familiar faces!
Do you follow our Facebook Page? make sure you’ve given us a ‘like’ if you haven’t already!
A quick update from the Affordable Housing Project
Discussions are continuing with Exmoor National Park Authority members and planners in formulating the Local Lettings Policy. This aims to ensure that local people are prioritised when it comes to allocating the six social rent homes. Another meeting with ENPA has been arranged and we hope to have an update next month.
Meanwhile, if you’re a local person in housing need, do remember to make sure you’re registered with Devon Home Choice. That way you can be considered for one of these homes once they become available.
Register with Devon Home Choice
Village Hall Development Project
The planning application went live on the ENPA planning portal on 4th December and we are currently awaiting determination by the planning authority. The submitted plans were based upon three “pre-app” meetings that took place with the Head of Planning & Sustainability at ENPA. However, despite this pre-app advice, some concerns have been raised by the Historic Buildings Conservation Officer.
We are working with the planning officers and we hope that a mutually acceptable way forward will be found.
In the meantime, efforts continue to raise the significant amount of grant funding that will be required. These efforts are being led by Martin Hallam and Dave Austin. Anyone wishing to get involved would be most welcome.
Visit the page
Parracombe Arts and Literary Festival 2024 announced
We were delighted to see the line-up for the first Parracombe Arts and Literary Festival in May, 2024 announced, welcoming speakers from around Devon and across the country to share insights, news and views. Proceeds are for the various projects run by Parracombe Community Trust for local good causes.
There will be walks and talks, dance and theatre, art and music and much more.
Pick up a brochure and your tickets from Parracombe’s Pavilion Stores and Cafe, or if you’re unable to get to the shop, you can browse online via the buttons below.
More info can be found via the festival homepage, and please use your social media accounts (Facebook and X – formerly Twitter) to help us to spread the word.
Hopeful and enthusiastic for a revitalised future for our Village Hall…
Our Hall continues to provide us with a hub of many varied activities, showing that it is still well used and valued within our community. We have had art classes and an art exhibition; charity fundraising coffee mornings; Pilates and playground consultations to name but a few!
Sincere thanks go out to all those motivated organisers and participants; no-one can say it’s not well used!
We are now at the end of the funding stream for this stage of redevelopment and we really hope that all the hours that both the community has spent consulting; and the dedicated members have spent on the build-up and planning process will come to fruition shortly. We are keen to move into the next phase, where we gather our strength and expertise on two fronts.
The second fork, is to gather a small group, who are experienced in the design and build process and prepared to join the Village Hall Working group. We will be working with a Structural Engineer, Quantity Surveyor and Project Manager, through the demands of Building Control, CDM, tendering and everything leading to the build. The aim is to not only save money on professional fees but ensure that we the community get what we want from the build both now and for future generations.
If you have skills to offer from our community, please feel free to contact me on nickbdevon2012@gmail.com
We are hopeful and enthusiastic that we can make this tired but loved and respected building , move towards its 100 yr anniversary, fit for purpose and revitalised for the future.
…and that’s a wrap for this update!
Please do let us know via email if you have any feedback on how we could improve our emails or general communications with Parracombe Trust Members.
Thank you,
Parracombe Community Trust