Investing in local people to build a better future

The community rallied and launched the business as a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee. Way back then Plunkett helped us from the get-go: an invaluable source of advice and support.

We are fortunate in Wales too, because the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act is some world-leading legislation that strengthens communities and drives our approach.

Fast forward to today and Dryslwyn Community Shop and Post Office is a thriving community enterprise: a vital and valued asset that is the heart and pride of our widely dispersed community. What’s more we are – right now – within days of starting to build our SiopNEWydd (new shop) on land gifted to the community for the purpose.

This £1.2 million venture has been supported by significant number of generous funders including the UK Government Shared Prosperity Funds, the National Lottery and the Welsh Government. It will spring-board us from tiny, rented, premises into purpose-designed premises with sustainability at its core.

So how did that transition happen?

Well, it hasn’t been easy or quick, that’s absolutely for sure.

That said, it’s certainly been all about the people – most especially, our volunteers. Everyone reading this will know just how critical volunteers are, whichever community enterprise you are involved with.

Like everyone else we thought we were good at all the usual things: welcoming, engaging, and encouraging volunteers from different walks of life, ages, abilities and capabilities – collectively pooling effort and talents so all can thrive.

But the SiopNEWydd project has demanded a step-change in volunteering effort, that meant we needed to source a whole set of different skills than the usual ones.

A first step was looking at who and what was missing amongst our regular volunteers. How could we find and attract what was needed? We also re-checked our induction, guidance, and supporting arrangements to make sure that was as good as it could be. We knew that Brilliant Basics were vital to helping people come on board, feel confident, and develop a sense of belonging.

Volunteering must be fun, generate a sense of team, and offer genuine involvement as well as appreciation. Ensuring a Christmas gathering, summer party, and food at the AGM go a long way to bringing people together who maybe don’t know each other, volunteer on different days, or in different ways.

For SiopNEWydd we proactively set out to increase opportunities, to tap into entirely new talents and skills, and be more flexible in our approach to volunteering. Hey presto, that has brought a brilliant set of additional volunteers to our mix!

Complimenting the invaluable ‘regular’ volunteers who serve in the shop and post office every day and do so much to keep the business going, a good number of the SiopNEWydd Team don’t – or even can’t – come to the shop regularly.

That may be due to physical disability restrictions, lack of transport, or other home/work commitments. Instead, like me, they have majored on ‘virtual volunteering’. That includes beavering away at home on spreadsheets, documents, and funding bids. Some creative souls are whizzo at marketing and design, editing video clips, or website and social media.

All are things folks can do in whatever ways and whenever best suits them. We sometimes gather in Teams meetings with our professional advisers, then pour over plans, debating design features for the new building – which way should the doors swing, or where should the plug sockets go in the new café?

Others have been out on tractors digging holes with surveyors on our building site, or wielding cameras checking the stream where our sewage package is due to go (no mains drainage, so evidence for permitting gets tricky these days).

Never did I think we could gather such amazing capability and willingness. It’s brought new folk in, grown friendships and connections, and built collective confidence. Certainly it has stretched and extended learning for all of us. Capital projects like this are a big ask – and we couldn’t have done it without the teamwork.

We were of course delighted to be shortlisted by Plunkett for the ‘Investing in Local People’ category at the Rural Community Business Awards 2024. Although we didn’t win (well done to those who did) for us the whole experience of investing in our volunteers has brought us so much.

That proactive approach of calling for help, providing different experiences, ensuring support and flexibility we have expanded our horizons and achievements.

Individuals contribute in ways they are comfortable to, give of their best, generously share skills, gather learning along the way, and succeed collectively.

A paraphrase from Aristotle says it “what we learn to do, we learn by doing”. My goodness, we’ve done a lot and we’ve learned a lot already – and the diggers haven’t yet moved in… Watch this space!

Dr Rosie Plummer is Project Lead for SiopNEWydd

Volunteer self portraits on a tea-towel! A project co-ordinated by a creative volunteer in their 20s.