SUPER SHOPS AND PUBS

From virtual pub quizzes on Facebook Live to village pubs offering takeaway services and vegetable boxes, rural communities are thinking on their feet to deal with the crisis.

Tradition is there – the village shopkeeper or postmaster will notice they haven’t seen Mrs Jones for a couple of days and make a point of checking if she needs anything Harriet English

THE EFFORTS OF VOLUNTEERS

When distribution faltered, local shops could have failed without the efforts of volunteers. “These shops were taken over by volunteers who could easily have said there was no point being in a shop and taken the decision to close. Instead, they are finding out where wholesale markets are and driving 40 miles at the crack of dawn to see what they can buy,” says English. Although shops have lost some older staff, “young people in villages and those who have been furloughed or laid off are stepping in,” says English. “The most humbling thing is the speed at which people are adapting.”

Longparish, Hampshire

Just before Covid-19 took off, the villagers of Longparish were poised to buy the local pub, the Plough Inn, and convert it into a community pub. Instead, when the village shop faced temporary closure as the owners had to self-isolate, a group of 30 volunteers worked on a rota basis to run the shop and deliver to those who needed supplies.

Outer Hebrides

Deliveries to elderly and vulnerable people are being arranged through a local network set up through the archipelago’s network of community shops, such as Bùth Bharraigh on Barra. “People here always look out for each other, that’s not new,” says Rob McKinnon, who is based in the island chain’s town, Stornoway in Lewis. “It’s second nature, we don’t have to relearn that skill, as we’re seeing happening in the cities.”

Huby, Yorkshire

Residents of the village have established a Good Neighbour scheme through the village shop, Barkers of Huby, where everyone checks on the needs of the elderly and most vulnerable and can do volunteer shopping and home deliveries.

Bishop Wilton Community Shop, Yorkshire

A webcam of the shop has been set up for people to view online. The idea is that people who would typically use the shop as a social hub might find the 360º tour distracting and something to discuss.

Hesket Newmarket, Cumbria

The community-run Old Crown pub has radically changed its activity. The co-operative has given its tenants a three-month rental holiday and the pub delivers to vulnerable people and offers takeaways. “Characterised by resilience and creativity, community businesses will be coming up with good solutions to tide us over,” says chairman Julian Ross. “Closing the pub was a severe blow not just to business but also socially to the community.”