Shop at the heart of the Community

Owned by YOU, Run by YOU, Here for YOU.

NEWSLETTER – JULY 2020

A message from Tony Patel – the HUB manager

It has been lovely to welcome so many of you back into the Shop and Post Office, to see you browsing the shelves and to serve you face to face. If you are still a little unsure about venturing to the Shop, please be reassured that social distancing and hygiene measures are in place to keep you, our volunteers and staff as safe as possible.
Not surprisingly, we have seen a big drop in telephone orders over the last week or so. This service has been hugely successful and only possible with the help from the army of volunteers and staff picking, packing, scanning and delivering. This service is still available for those self isolating, shielding  or housebound. A reminder of how to order is set out below. As we move towards opening the Shop for longer hours, we may need to make some further changes to the delivery service but please rest assured, if you are in these categories, we will continue to provide a telephone order and home delivery service for as long as you need it. Whether you are coming to the Shop or ordering from home, we are very grateful for your continued support. Thank you.

A REMINDER ABOUT OUR HOME DELIVERY SERVICE

Here is what you do to arrange a delivery.
With your order and contact details at the ready:
Ring the HUB shop on 01722-780998. You are likely to speak to one of our team leaders but anyone on duty at the shop can take your order.

or

Email us with your order at: info@chalkevalleystores.co.uk
We will then prepare your order and ring you when it’s ready with the cost and to arrange delivery at a convenient time and to a specific drop off location at your house.

MEANWHILE…..

As people become more confident about going out to shop, we are pleased to see passing trade on the increase.  One of the joys for us working at the HUB is to see the positive messages new customers leave in our visitor’s book. It is not unusual to see comments from throughout the UK and from as far afield as Australia and America and we look forward to the day when these visitors are able to return to the Chalke Valley again.
We have seen an increase in demand for take-away drinks and food and more recently we have introduced our afternoon tea, TEATIME PACKS which typically consist of a delicious mixture of scones, jam, sandwiches and cake from  £6.50 per pack depending on your individual choices.

VOLUNTEERS

We have been very fortunate in the number of people who have stepped forward to volunteer during the last three months.  We remain hugely grateful to you all for providing what, in many cases, has proved to be an essential service. This is community spirit at its best. At the same time it has given those new to volunteering a chance to experience how worthwhile it is to take part in a community enterprise like the HUB. Inevitably some of this group will not be able to continue as they go back to work so, looking ahead, we need to encourage those who are able to join us as volunteers on a regular basis as things gradually return to normal . Even if you are only able to offer a few hours a week this can make all the difference to maintaining the standard of service which is so important to the HUB’s success. Please contact Tony if you would like to find out more.

INTRODUCING ABIGAIL FRY

As from July, Abigail will join the management committee with specific responsibility for Communications and PR. Abigail, who lives in Broad Chalke, is currently the marketing executive for a hotel group and is well-versed in modern forms of communication, particularly the effective use of social media. Welcome to Abigail and thanks to Andrew Boys who is stepping down from this role.

AND FINALLY

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT. WE HAVE WEATHERED THE PANDEMIC STORM TOGETHER. THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY SPIRIT IS STRONGER THAN EVER AS A RESULT. YOUR EFFORTS WILL ENSURE A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR THE HUB