Clwyd West Assembly Member Darren Millar has congratulated a community-run shop in his constituency which has been selected as a Welsh finalist in “The Rural Oscars”.
Operating across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, “The Rural Oscars", the Countryside Alliance Annual Awards, are the leading rural business awards to win, celebrating the very best of rural produce and community.
This week Darren met with one of the Welsh finalists, Llandegla Community Shop & Café, which has been selected in the Village Shop/Post Office category.
Darren said:
“The Countryside Alliance Annual Awards really are the top awards. This year they received over 18,000 nominations with many inspiring entries from across the country, so to have been selected as a finalist really is a major achievement.
“Llandegla Community Shop and Café provide some fantastic services and are a huge hit with villagers, walkers and cyclists using the shop as a convenience store and café destination.
“I am delighted that the Countryside Alliance have recognised the fantastic work they are doing in championing quality local produce and providing an outlet for local producers, as well as providing a great meeting place for residents and visitors.
“The winners will be announced on Tuesday May 5th in the Senedd in Cardiff. I wish Llandegla Community Shop and Café the very best of luck”.
Helen Mannion, one of the managers, said:
“We opened in May 2016 and had only been trading a year when we first made it to the finals, so we are really pleased to have been nominated again this year.
“We are open seven days a week from 8.30am - 6pm Monday - Saturday, and between 9am and 4pm on a Sunday. The mobile Post Office is here from 9.15am until 11.15am on a Thursday morning.
“We couldn’t do all that we do without our fantastic volunteers - 34 in total! Thanks to them we are able to provide an array of services on top of the café and shop, including a medicine box run, to pick up repeat prescriptions for villagers, pre-ordered newspapers and vegetable boxes.
“It would be fantastic for all of us, and for the local community, if we were to win this prestigious award.”
The Welsh category winners will go forward to compete against winners from across the country in the grand final at the House of Lords in June 2020.