DESPITE a rocky start which involved trading from a converted garage for the first three weeks, the community has rallied to get Slaley Community Shop up and running.

The co-operative is the second community venture to be launched by villagers determined to keep services running for the benefit of residents.

Village stalwarts Margaret and Roy Ward had run the shop for over 50 years, following on from Roy’s parents, and had been torn between their wish to retire and sense of duty to local villagers.

But Slaley Community Trust stepped in and a steering group was established to oversee a community take over.

Now a co-operative society for the benefit of the community has been formed – just like the co-operative that already runs the Rose and Crown pub.

However, the scheme was threatened when a team of volunteers moved in to give the building a quick clean and found that the floor was rotten.

It soon became clear that both dry and wet rot were extensive.

After three weeks hard labour, especially from local resident Doug Smith, a retired decorator who worked round the clock, the shop finally opened its doors on May 7.

For three weeks the shop volunteers ran the business out of its cunningly converted garage, transformed into a make-shift store with the help of folk in the village who rallied round and lent shelving and tables.

“The Dunkirk spirit kicked in, everyone pulled together and got the business off to a successful start,” said the Rev. Helen Savage, who is one of the shop’s four founding directors.

Thanks to Doug’s work, and a team led by the shop’s finance director David Allsop, the shop now has a fresh new look and was officially opened on May 7.

Norman Watson, who is chairman of Slaley Community Trust, said: “We have a three-year rental agreement in place and then we hope to be able to buy the shop.

“We’ve raised some initial working capital by opening up a membership scheme. We have 95 members who have paid £25 each.”

The shop is a lifeline for many people in the village as a convenience store and newsagent.

It’s also committed to supplying as many local-produced goods as possible and has long been an outlet for Northumbrian Pedigree Milk, produced in Slaley.

As the business grows the volunteer team hope they’ll be able to open a small café on the site and improve disabled access throughout the building.