15/05/2026
Thank you to those of you who attended the annual general meeting of the Gaydon Village Shop this evening. Here publicly is the Chairperson’s report.
Chairperson’s Report – May 2026 / Financial Year 2025
Firstly, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to every one of our wonderful volunteers for your dedication, commitment, friendship and continued hard work throughout the year. Without you, this small village shop would lose the beating heart that is so important to the daily life and spirit of our community. The time you freely give, the care you show our customers and the sense of togetherness you help create is something truly special and should never be underestimated.
I would also like to thank the committee for taking on the many responsibilities and challenges involved in running this small but vital community business. My heartfelt thanks go to Yvonne, Sue, Adrian, Martin and Michele for their continued support, commitment and willingness to step forward whenever needed.
The Shop has received no committee resignations this year, and therefore we look forward to continuing into the next year with enthusiasm, stability and positivity.
I would also like to take this opportunity to give special thanks to Michele, who has taken on an incredible amount of work for the benefit of the shop and continues to do so with positivity, commitment and determination. Her support behind the scenes has been invaluable.
A further thank you must also go to Sue, Gerry and Bev who, although having stepped away from committee duties, continue to be fantastic sources of knowledge and experience and are always willing to help and support whenever needed.
We are delighted to have welcomed a number of new volunteers throughout the past year, bringing our volunteer numbers to a healthy total of 25 active volunteers. Recruitment remains ongoing, with in-store promotion, local advertising and social media continuing to encourage new people to become involved. We would always encourage anyone who may enjoy spending time supporting the community to consider joining us. Volunteering at the shop is not only incredibly valuable to the village, but also a lovely way to meet people and become part of village life.
Throughout the year we have continued to focus on improving the day-to-day running of the shop. As a committee, we remain mindful of unnecessary spending and have taken positive steps to reduce costs and minimise wastage wherever possible. We have also continued to review stock lines carefully, introducing products more closely aligned with customer demand and shopping trends whilst ensuring the shop remains well stocked, welcoming and convenient for our customers.
Public advertising to encourage villagers to continue shopping locally remains an ongoing priority. Promotion through social media, local publications and community channels continues to play an important role in keeping the shop visible and reminding people of the importance of supporting local services. In particular, I would like to thank Denise Marsh for taking on the excellent task of managing our social media campaigns and launching our Instagram account. We have seen a significant increase in online interaction and visibility which is incredibly important in helping us connect with both existing and new customers.
Whilst we are pleased to report that the shop has achieved a small profit this year, it is important to acknowledge that sales continue to show some decline and increasing sales remains an ongoing concern for the future sustainability of the business. Competition from larger retailers continues to affect small independent shops everywhere, and unfortunately the Asda garage remains one of our biggest challenges, particularly following the addition of their alcohol licence.
That said, we have recently noticed a reduction in Asda’s fresh produce range and, in some instances, their pricing on everyday stock items has become considerably higher. This provides us with an opportunity to continue highlighting the value, convenience, quality and community spirit our own village shop offers. Although reductions on stock are sometimes necessary, and this can impact our gross profit margin despite healthy mark-ups across most product lines, we remain positive and proactive in our approach moving forward.
This year also marks a very special milestone as the shop officially celebrates its 16th birthday — so happy birthday to us all. Sixteen years of community spirit, teamwork, support and resilience is something everyone involved should feel enormously proud of. I am sure there will be an opportunity very soon for us all to come together and celebrate properly. With this in mind, thank you to Jane Faulconbridge who organised several wonderful volunteer get-togethers last year which were thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended.
Finally, continued thanks must go to Paul, Jo and George at The Malt Shovel for their ongoing support with bread and pastry sales. Your friendship and support are always greatly appreciated. Thank you also to Ellis Machinery for the delicious volunteer gifts at Christmas which, as always, were incredibly thoughtful and very well received.
In closing, thank you once again to every volunteer, committee member, supporter and customer who continues to support our village shop. Community shops survive because communities choose to support them, and every purchase, every volunteer hour and every kind word genuinely makes a difference. We look forward to continuing to build positively on the year ahead together.
Siobhan Dodd
Chairperson
GVS
