Hope for town centre despite shop closures
While two shops in Lochgilphead have closed down recently, there is a glimmer of hope in the town centre.
The Community Shop in Argyll Street is thriving, with a new manager in post.
Scott McBride and his wife Becci relocated to Argyll from Norwich, after falling in love with the area.
While Scott is managing The Community Shop, Becci is a supervisor at Mid Argyll Swimming Pool, which, like many local employers, has struggled to find staff.
Scott said: “We wanted to be part of the community, contribute to community life.”
In his new position, Scott is very grateful to the owners of both Lochside Leisure and Fyne Living for donating stock and shop fittings when they closed.
The Community Shop was opened as a social enterprise when Mary’s Meals charity shop shut.
This “Aladdin’s cave” of items is a popular shopping and meeting place, and profits will be invested back into community projects.
Scott is in his third week as manager of The Community Shop. He said: “We have been coming up here for years and fell in love with it. That’s why we’re here.
“I have been working on a project in Norwich, where I’m from, which is a similar community-led project.
“This job is perfect for me because I get to help the community and have a job as well. That’s why I applied for this. It was almost perfect timing.
“I think the directors [of The Community Shop] feel I have fitted in well.”
Renovation works are currently ongoing in the unit next door, which will provide a meeting place and sell furniture. More announcements about this will be coming soon.
He added: “Being here is amazing, there is so much potential.
“The thing I’m excited for is trying to raise as much money as possible, that money we raise will be available to help us to support the community.
“People are very generous. Everything in the shop is donated, we have had items worth £100.”
Scott is keen to provide a service to the local community, and in these tough financial times wants to make sure that affordable clothes for children and adults are available.
He is very optimistic about the future of Lochgilphead town centre. “I have heard there have been inquiries about the empty shops. There are lots of grants available from the council to do up shopfronts, so there is that little bit of regeneration.
“It can start with places like this. If we have a community-led project that engages people, from that, all sorts of things can happen.”
The Community Shop is always looking for volunteers, for a range of tasks and roles. People can do as much or as little as they like. They would be keen to hear from anyone who can offer a regular commitment of anything from an hour a week upwards.