Fundraising fight starts for new shop and post office
DRYSLWYN shop and post office in the Towy Valley, Carmarthenshire, was established in 2009 and is a lifeline to many in the community and entirely run by volunteers.
Sitting off the A40 between Carmarthen and Llandeilo, it serves the communities of Dryslwyn and Cwrt Henri.
However, the lease ends in 30 months and a new home is needed.
While some land has been donated for a new shop to be built to the side of HG Bryer and Sons Ltd car garage, which is next to the shop, the fight is on to fundraise to make this new-build a reality.
Part of that process is involving the community in the design process and a series of consultation events are running throughout March.
Monday night saw a ‘meet the architects’ evening via Zoom webcam where the public could log on to hear about the vision for the new shop and post office design.
Nigel Jones is chair of the project team named Siop Newydd. He said: “During the Covid-19 pandemic shops like the one in Dryslwyn have been a lifeline to local people who are often older and disinclined to go into town or not use internet shopping.
“To be considering opening a new retail unit when so many shops in towns and villages are closed and some may not reopen is quite remarkable.
“The project team that I chair is having to work virtually in everything we do.
“Swansea-based Huw Griffiths Architects have been instructed and we are running a series of events during March to raise awareness of the project and fundraising needed.”
Huw Griffiths Architects have designed buildings such as the community shop in the Gower village of Llanmadoc and the visitor centre in Myddfai.
Mr Jones said the community’s ideas will be taken on board as the plans for the new shop progress.
He added: “With the architects we will have online sessions as well as engagement outside the shop, in line with Covid19 regulations and social distancing.
“We want to have a blackboard outside the shop with questions on it every week for the public to give feedback, along with speaking to customers directly.
“One possibility is that there could be a café as part of the shop and post office, it all depends on what people want from it.”
Mr Jones said a bigger premises was certainly needed and any newbuild would cater for that.
The existing shop has proved essential to some over the pandemic, offering deliveries to customers,
while as more people shop online the post office has seen more people dropping off and picking up parcels.
The plan is to have the shop open in 2023, and a website is in the process of being built to keep people up to date on the plans and consultations.
In the meantime, people are encouraged to visit the shop’s Facebook page to keep up to date with announcements.