The Almonsbury community shop is community owned, community supported and community sustaining- which makes their kings award for voluntary service even more special.
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00:00Hi, Pat, how are you today?
00:04It's all volunteer run, all volunteer run, which is one of the key aspects.
00:08We have between 80 and 90 volunteers.
00:12I am here outside of the Almondsbury community shop, which is right in the heart of the community.
00:18And they have recently received some very exciting news for some national recognition.
00:23So in November last year, we were awarded the King's Award of a Voluntary Service.
00:30So what is that?
00:32It's actually, it's equivalent to an MBE for groups, and it's for groups who are totally
00:39volunteer run.
00:41We were really shocked to discover we'd won, but it's really nice for all the volunteers
00:46to actually feel that something's been recognised, I suppose.
00:50We had to fill in some forms, which actually, we were nominated by one of our neighbours
00:56who uses the shop daily and is very grateful for us being here.
01:00You know, mobility is an issue.
01:02We haven't got a bus going through the village, so it means people have to get the cars out
01:06the whole time.
01:07The Almondsbury community shop is run and maintained by a group of volunteers, which
01:12makes this award even more special.
01:15Let's find out from them what it means.
01:17It means everything to the village, from, you know, every volunteer, all 50 of them
01:23at the moment, just feel it's a recognition of all the effort they've put in over the
01:27years.
01:28Oh, we're really proud, aren't we, Geoff?
01:31Really proud of our award.
01:33If you think we've been here, what, 16 years in this building?
01:38It just means it's, I've been working in the shops since 2009, and it's, you know, it shows
01:45it's all worthwhile, you know?
01:48It's actually helping us to operate as well, because people are coming in, more people
01:51are coming in, more volunteers are volunteering, they can see the purpose behind it now.
01:57It's just real great recognition.