THE
GARGUNNOCK
COMMUNITY TRUST

Dear Supporter,

​

We invite you to join Gargunnock Community Shop Ltd, a vibrant, environmentally conscious, community-owned store in the heart of the village. Our plans include renovating and restoring the building, replacing the roof, and preserving a space that has served the community for over 100 years.

Gargunnock, on the outskirts of Stirling, is home to around 900 residents. The village faced a setback three years ago when its local shop closed and fell into disrepair.

To restore the shop, we formed a Community Benefit Society (CBS) named Gargunnock Community Shop Ltd. This society operates under a volunteer Management Committee currently engaged in an 18-month project to transform the premises, aiming to reopen in December 2024.

To date, the group has secured two major grants:
1. Community Ownership Fund: £224,032 for capital funding and £29,000 for revenue, all needed for the shop building renovation.
2. Scottish Land Fund (SLF): £154,759 used to purchase the property, make essential repairs, and fund our Project Manager, Danielle McRorie-Smith.

John Scott, who paid £90,000 for the shop, has been reimbursed, securing the building in community ownership permanently. Gargunnock Estates Trust has generously provided the required matched funding of £56,000.

We now need to raise a final £60K for a new roof, to complete the interior fit-out, including flooring, lighting, retail displays, sleepers into the hillside, a field drain, and paving for the rear deliveries and accessible entrance. We are also now marketing the shop for a suitable tenant to ensure a successful launch.

To raise this final £60K, we are offering community shares. Community shares allow local people to invest in a community-led venture. By investing in Gargunnock Community Shop Ltd, you support a community-owned and operated business benefitting residents, businesses, and visitors. Each investor becomes a member with voting rights at the AGM and the opportunity to join the management committee. Gargunnock residents will always make up a majority of shareholders, and all members have equal voting rights.

We would love for you to play a key role in the future of Gargunnock Community Shop by purchasing community shares. The minimum investment for Gargunnock residents is £25 (25 shares), and for non-residents, it is £50 (50 shares). If you can afford to invest more, please do so. We aim to offer up to 5% interest from Year 2 (2025/26) and start offering share withdrawals from Year 3 (2026/27), with a maximum annual withdrawal of 15%. Long term, we hope to use surplus profit for community initiatives and village investment.

This share offer document contains additional information, but please reach out if you have any questions at shopcommittee@gargunnock.org. With your help, we can make Gargunnock Community Shop a great success. Your investment will ensure the survival and revival of a store serving the community.

We are extremely grateful to all our funders for their generosity.

With thanks,
The founding GCS committee