CHERITON Fitzpaine Community Shop has been offered first dibs to purchase the former Methodist Chapel and school room buildings located in the centre of the village.

If the shop committee and community is able to raise sufficient funds, the existing community shop would be able to move into the Chapel and open a café and muti-purpose hub for the village.

If it cannot come up with the funds, then the premises will be put up for sale on the open market and the shop will cease to exist.

Residents believe that life in the village will be seriously disrupted if this happens.

The village is about five miles either way to Tiverton and Crediton and is sometimes cut off by floodwater and ice and snow.

Shareholders have given the go ahead to start fundraising and the very first fundraising event - a Barn Dance with the Hips and Haws, was held in Cheriton Fitzpaine on Saturday November 16.

Apart from great fun and scrumptious baked potatoes, provided by Lyn and her helpers, the grand sum of £791 was raised by those who attended.

While this is a drop in the ocean, many more events are planned by the management committee who are looking for pledges of donations and share purchases as well as grant funding. Pledge forms are already available in the shop.

The ambitious goal is to raise £250,000.

Cheriton Fitzpaine Community shop has a lease due to expire in December 2027.

It was established five years ago as a result of villagers pulling together to raise the finance to build and stock it, and it has run so successfully that it needs bigger premises to serve the needs of the community.

Sadly, as reported in the Courier in April this year, the Methodist Chapel and schoolroom had to finally close their doors after almost 160 years.