News

Volunteering day with Plunkett UK

Eight people posing outside Village Store, mix of standing and sitting on low wall, wearing winter jackets and casual clothing.

Building on our partnership with Plunkett UK, this year some of our team paid a visit to Brightwell-cum-Sotwell Community Village Stores to help with a spring clean. 

Celia Collett, winner of the 2025 Community Contribution Award at Plunkett’s Rural Community Business Awards, was at the forefront of fundraising and establishing the shop in 2010 – and she remains a vital member in its 16th year of serving the local community through maintaining the rota for over 40 volunteers and recruits new volunteers and Post Office workers.

We split into three groups, one cleaning the inside of the Store, one sorting the storage shed and the other tending to the car park and driveway with gardening and tidying. 

While completing the spring clean, it was great to see the amount of people using the impressive community asset.  The Post Office counter was a hive of activity with people leaving with locally produced items such as bread, meat, vinegars, oils, sauces and biscuits, along with other nationally available items.  

What Celia and the Village Stores team have achieved is amazing and it was both insightful and hugely rewarding to meet them and help for the day – a massive thank you for having us!  

Move information about the important work that Plunkett UK undertake across the UK can be found here:

 https://plunkett.co.uk/

https://plunkett.co.uk/rural-community-business-awards/

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