One village shows rural England the way forward.
For years, rural communities have witnessed their villages decimated by commuters seeking work far away, house prices sky-rocketing, local shops, pubs and schools closing and residents bereft of any community spirit. Yet, the 912 residents of Cottingham, near Corby in Northamptonshire, have demonstrated that people-power (the Big Society?) can reap huge dividends. They've clubbed together to "put the heart back into the village" as a happy Cottinghamian explained to the BBC's Look East programme.
After an absence of five years, the people of Cottingham have bought, restored and renovated the abandoned local shop. Some two hundred of them have now become shareholders in the venture and, with assistance from grants, have managed to kick-start the business. It'll serve both Cottingham and nearby Middleton (pop. 328), and will feature a coffee shop, local store with fresh groceries, internet café and kids playroom, the BBC reports.
With four part-time staff and several volunteers, the operation will undoubtedly prove a roaring success, as long as book-keeping is up to scratch! Look East filmed as almost the entire community assembled outside the shop for the grand opening. It won't lack support.
Vitally, the enterprise proves that life can be injected back into these out of the way localities. Other projects in Cottingham will likely follow. And villages across the country might take note, for Cottingham is only one of thousands of such places needing a similar morale booster.
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