THE first turf was cut to mark the start of an exciting village venture in Spaxton at the weekend.

Work on a not-for-profit community shop in Spaxton got underway, a project which will be owned and run by locals.

The new building, being built by Bridgwater firm Harris Bros and Collard, will be on the playing field next to the village hall car park.

Builders are expected to be on site for 12 weeks.

The project, which will be run by a part-time paid manager and a team of volunteers, was launched by the sale of community shares, which raised £30,000. There are now 300 shareholders, investing from £5 upwards.

There was an anonymous donation of £45,000 towards the project with most of the money coming from grants from nearby businesses and the community.

Richard Lee, committee member, said: “It’s exactly four years since Simon Haswell and I first chatted about the idea of a community shop in Spaxton.

“We’ve been delighted with the enthusiasm and commitment of the people in the village, and the support from the village hall committee and the parish and district councils. And the community shop network is fantastic – we’ve had help and advice from committee members of at least a dozen community shops up and down the country.”