New community-owned shop becomes lifeline in Fife village

Dunshalt Community Shop opened its doors in early March, becoming the first in Fife to be community owned, after locals came together to save their local store.

However, just two weeks later, the team decided to shut, as coronavirus caused havoc across the Kingdom.

The group, made up of three part-time staff and a band of volunteers, instead decided to start a delivery service, taking orders by email or phone.

The service covers Dunshalt, Auchtermuchty and Falkland, although people from the surrounding villages have also been getting in touch asking about the service.

“It turned out to be the best decision,” said chairwoman Eleanor Porter.

“We’ve made it work. It’s gone down really well. We’ve had elderly people in touch, people going through chemo.

“We couldn’t have opened during the lockdown. I don’t know what people would have done – people would have been really isolated.”

The opening of the shop marked the culmination of a four-year battle to keep the shop, the only one in the small village, open.

The group managed to buy the store under a community share ownership, with a grant from the Scottish Land Fund being used to buy the shop.

More than £30k was then raised through selling shares, with 225 people buying them.

Along with funding from Fife LEADER and other bodies, the group were able to renovate the building.

“It’s been unbelievable and really exciting,” Eleanor added.

“This crisis has brought home the value of the work we’ve done. There was nothing. We had been without a shop for five years.

“It was difficult. For people reliant on the bus it was really difficult.”

For more information about Dunshalt Community Shop and the delivery service, visit www.facebook.com/DunshaltShop.