BERE Ferrers Community Shop and Café celebrated its fifth anniversary last Saturday. 

The community shop was originally started due to the closure of the village shop. A great success from its inception, the shop is open on Saturdays from 10am to noon. It not only provides a place to buy local produce, crafts and Fairtrade goods, but also offers a café where villagers can socialise.

The shop is a non-profit making enterprise and the money is put into village activities. 

Representatives from other villages, such as Exbourne and Walkhampton, have visited the shop and used it as a model.

A steering committee runs the venture, which is staffed by volunteers.

An enjoyable and happy fifth birthday morning, complete with free cake and Buck's Fizz, was well attended by many of the villagers.

Pictured are Christine Grills, who was one of the original stallholders, cutting the birthday cake, made by villager Glenys Whelan. Looking on, left to right, are, seated, committee member Lesley Smith, Diana Mitchell, another stallholder since its inception, and two of the café volunteers, Jane Hamlyn and Alan Richardson.