Braunstone’s First Community Shop
B-inspired News • May 14th, 2021
B-inspired, is investing in the local area by creating the first ‘Community Shop’ in Braunstone. This is the results of a 5-year project funded by the ‘Power to Change – Empowering Places Programme’. Back in 2018 when the project first began you may remember we held lots of events to explore what local people wanted to see in Braunstone. Local people told us they wanted more activities, a place where people could come together to socialise and a place that provides affordable clothes, furniture and whites goods locally. From this we are supporting the opening of a community shop selling pre-loved clothes, homeware and white goods at affordable prices for local people.
‘The Empowering Places Programme by Power to Change is wonderful. It is designed to enable communities to create change through empowering local people to develop local community businesses. The businesses are those that local people want, need and will use; to generate and boost the local economy. From this project we have supported the development of five new community businesses in Braunstone.’
After lots of research, testing, finding volunteers to lead and support the new community shop venture. The project is starting to take shape, volunteers have undergone community business training and we now have the foundations to start a fantastic new business. The community shop will hopefully become a loved and valued community asset for Braunstone. Whilst, covid restrictions have hindered our progress slightly, we are now at the point where one of the key elements of ‘The refurbishment of Shop Premises’ on Wellinger Way is finally complete!
This process has been on-going for the past 6 months, with lots of work behind the scenes taking place to ensure a successful start to the project. This involved creating new building plans, sourcing contractors and ensuring that a realistic timeline was in place for the opening. As the first major hurdle is finished, we’re now ready to share the details of what we have been up to…
Back in April, may you have walked down Wellinger Way and seen a range of different things going on outside the shop front. The first stage in our refurbishment journey was to clear out the building ready for the transformational building works to take place. It took around 3 full days to clear the space, sorting current items for sale and disposing of around 14 tonnes of excess building stock and wood (all to be recycled of course). Once the space was clear the building became a blank canvas ready for the builders to work their magic.
The office space at Wellinger Way, then went under a 3 week makeover to turn the building in to a usable space.
Watch our journey in this video…
‘I can’t wait to get the shop up and running, it’s been a long process and I am excited to start the transformation ready for opening in the summer. Our vision is to sell a range of pre-loved clothes, homeware and white goods at affordable prices for local people. Whilst selling a range of vintage, designer and handmade artisan products too.’
Our contractor told us:
We would like to thank the B-inspired team for trusting us with the refurbishment of Wellinger Way. It’s been a great experience, taking a space that needed attention and didn’t really work for them, into creating a new spacious, inviting environment for their new charity shop that will benefit the community. As tradesman having grew up in the local area, we appreciate how much this will mean to the community going forward. On behalf of Jamie (JV Home Improvements – https://homedevelopments.wixsite.com/jvhomeimprovements) Alan (ARC Joinery), and Ash (AIC Electrical – https://www.aicelectrical.co.uk) we wish you all the best in your new surroundings.
After all of the hard work, the new store space looks amazing and our volunteers can’t wait to get sorting donations and dressing the space ready for the Community Shop to open
If you want to find out more about the community shop or volunteer with us to develop this new venture, please email: Marian.deacon@b-inspired.org.uk or call: 0116 279 5020.
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