Last Updated: Jan 22
The GBN has secured £50,000 from the Biffaward main grants scheme which has helped secure the future of Midgley community shop by allowing the local community to purchase the building.
Since the original village shop and post office closed down over 5 years ago and notice was given last year to vacate the rented replacement community-run shop, the village of Midgley faced a future without this important local amenity. Through fundraising, grants and a community share issue, the former village Co-op was finally purchased in December 2009 and will be transformed back into a more sustainable shop and a new community room.
Community Development Worker, Nigel Oliver said: ‘The project is a first class example of going “Totally Local” – using local expertise to capitalise on local financial resources to benefit local people and locally-based businesses.
‘It also exemplifies the best of “systems thinking”: Midgley residents who are rescuing the shop have already provided land for GBN’s Pennine Haymeadows project, which is creating new opportunities for local farmers. These same farmers will now supply the expanded Midgley shop with locally-sourced produce to benefit local residents.’
The Green Business Network is the largest single funder of the overall project having provided £10,000 of Calderdale’s own landfill tax credits alongside £50,000 from the multi-million pound Biffaward fund. The fund’s money comes from landfill tax credits donated by Biffa Waste Services, whose nearest depot is in Brighouse.
