Sustainable Communities

Countryside Retail Support Scheme/Village Shop & Post Office Training

"Providing real support for our rural retail services and businesses"

Support rural retail businesses throughout Leicestershire by providing grants to improve the services and facilities that they provide to villages and their communities and give rural businessmen and women the opportunity to train and recieve information in order to improve their businesses.

Organisation: Rural Community Council (Leicestershire & Rutland)

Completion Date: 29/04/2004

Location

Information available from the Rural Community Council (Leicestershire and Rutland)

Project Description

Village shops have a social value to rural communities way in excess than that of being just retail outlets - Peter Jones, Director, ViRSA

The project will deliver a small grant scheme available to shops, public houses and petrol stations on communities of less than 10,000 people, across the county of Leicestershire.

Grant information
Grants will be available to cover part of the costs of improvements to the business and the business premises. Both external and internal improvements will be encouraged and may include items such as disabled access, shop fronts, air conditioning and heating, signage, flooring and displays.

Grants of up to £5,000 will be given to suitable applications on the condition of at least 50% match funding being met by the applicant.

Applicants will need to demonstrate that the improvement project will bring benefits to the community as a whole. This may include improved access, increased product ranges and services, improved external appearance or the prevention of the loss of services or closure.

Training
In addition to the grant scheme, the project will deliver a series of training and information events for local retailers.

Events will be held throughout the year and will help ensure that rural shopkeepers have access to the most relevant and up to date information and advice available. This will allow retailers to benefit from countrywide good practises and learn from each other.

Training sessions will include a range of presentations, workshops and demonstrations together with discussions and the opportunity to talk informally together.

Outcomes

Training and information for all
The project will provide the opportunity for every rural shopkeeper, sub-postmaster and independent garage owner to benefit from the training and information sessions arranged throughout the year.

The project will bring together many local and national partners -some are listed below - to share information and expertise with local business people:

• Countryside Agency
• Trading standards
• Rural Shop Keepers Alliance
• Business Link
• Post Office Ltd
• National Federation of Sub Postmasters

and will cover a whole range of issues, including;

• Retail marketing
• Service delivery
• Grants and Funding
• Health and Safety
• Crime prevention
• The Disability Discrimination Act

Other benefits
The grant element of the project will provide valuable funding and leverage opportunities to local businesses and will encourage original and innovative ideas designed to improve the services and facilities available in rural villages.

Project Contacts

Project manager:
Kevin Butcher
Tel: 0116 268 9703
E-mail: kbutcher@ruralcc.org.uk
Website: www.ruralcc.org.uk

LSEP contact:
Gill Smitherman
Tel: 0116 257 5676
Email: gills@lsep.co.uk
Website: www.lsep.co.uk