Sparsholt Shop and Post Office sits at the heart of a thriving community. In 2009, the facility was saved from impending closure by a joint venture between the Parish Council and interested sharesholders (we currently have over 200 shareholders, mainly villagers). It is now owned and run by the Sparsholt Village Shop Association. Paid staff (there are 5 in total) are all local and the key resource bank of over 50 volunteers range from teenagers through to the elderly.

Without the community run shop, the village would be a much poorer place. It serves not only as a shop and Post Office to the local community, but also as a meeting point, a coffee shop and as an essential point of contact and help for the local elderly, lonely or those in need.

There is a high level of community involvement through the 50 volunteers who assist with the day to day running of the shop. From manning, to stocking shelves, taking/picking up the dry cleaning, making & donating produce, planning & running community events, to recycling the cardboard and other waste from the shop.

We are in the heart of the countryside and serve not only the local population of Sparsholt, but also the many walkers and cyclists who come to the village to connect and enjoy the countryside. We have developed a guide and map of the local area to encourage people to relate to the historic landscape surrounding our beautiful village.

The shop is housed in an historic building (The Old Wellhouse) opposite our Norman church. It is an important part of the village heritage. We aim to maintain to activity in the centre of the village keeping it a lively and attractive place for the community. The building’s conservation and restoration is a significant factor for the local rural area. We are currently in the process of restoring the village phone box (paid for by donations from individuals within the community).

Our Post Office is one of the smallest and most beautiful in the UK. Sparsholt serves the local and wider community with vital services that would otherwise only be available in Winchester. Customers are encouraged to use the shop and PO regularly to help reduce their carbon footprint.

We aim to stock a huge range of products appealing to all tastes and budgets. The number of lines in such a small shop often amazes customers. We endeavour to sell locally produced items, such as meat, fish, bread, home-made cakes, soups – these are hugely popular and help to minimise transportation and distribution costs. The shop is also a useful outlet for the sale of local, home grown produce.

Sustainable practice is behind much of what we do. We encourage the re-use of plastic bags and sell our own branded jute bag. All cardboard, bottles and metal is recycled and dry waste is kept to a minimum. We serve as a popular dry cleaning hub, reducing journeys to the local agent.

Being at the heart of the community, we provide support to the annual community litter pick in the village; we arrange hugely popular community events (from race nights, to bingo, to murder mysteries). These evenings not only raise money for the running of the shop, but are seen as a highlight of the village community calendar.

The shop would not be open without the huge level of community support and volunteer efforts. It is involved in most of the village activities and helps promote a wider sense of community through its support of the other essential elements of Sparsholt – for example the primary school (joint fund raising initiatives such as selling Christmas trees; Christmas markets etc); the church (assisting with selling tickets for their events, publicising events); the village hall (publicity and ticket selling for events).

For a small shop and Post Office, it is hugely cherished by the local and wider community. We are all passionate about keeping it alive, vital, sustainable and open.