Hesket Newmarket Community Shop
Our story so far
We have been on a journey! Scroll to the bottom to read our story from the beginning.
16 May 2026
3 February 2026
Reopening as a community business
The shop and post office reopened as the third community-led business in Hesket Newmarket on the
3 February. Exciting times!
14 June 2025
Our first AGM!
We combined our first AGM with a Big Lunch event to celebrate our amazing community. We were able to report that we had been awarded the Post Office contract!
View the reports and accounts here: Minutes
29 April 2025
We did it!
Philippa announced at the 9th public meeting that we had raised enough money to buy the shop!
Read the minutes
1 -20 December 2024
Share offer reopens
The share offer re-opened for December 2024 to allow those who missed the summer deadline to join, and to allow existing members to purchase more shares.
01 November 2024
Auction of Promises
Among our fundraising activities was the Auction of Goods and Promises. The whole community got behind the event by donating goods and experiences. A brilliant night was had by all and we raised over £11,000.
August 2024
18 June 2024
Share offer opens
The Society ran a community share offer from 18 June to
31 August 2024 to raise the money to buy the shop premises and the business.
The minimum share holding offered was £100 and the target was £250,000. The share offer was very successful and raised £345,661 from 290 members.
Read the fourth public meeting minutes.
15 May 2024
We became a CBS
The steering group, led by Philippa Groves, set up a community benefit society to raise funds to buy and manage the shop and post office.
The Hesket Newmarket Community Shop Society was registered on the 15 May 2024, and the steering group became its first management committee.
View our management bios.
Read our Governance Policy.
09 April 2024
11 March 2024
First public meeting
It became apparent, through further meetings and a questionnaire, that there was widespread support for a community-led bid for the premises to keep the shop and post office running.
Read the minutes
January 2024
In the beginning…
In early 2024 it became known that Andy Bothamley, our local shopkeeper and postmaster, planned to retire. Concern grew that the village could lose its shop and post office if Andy’s premises were sold for residential use. A meeting of concerned people led to a wider public meeting.