AS one era ends a new dawns as the new community shop in Harrowbarrow is delivered.

The village came together to aid the arrival of the cabin which was brought to site via flatbed truck through narrow country lanes past the Rising Sun public house and the old Post Office to be craned into place on its new home.

“It was a high pressure delivery for sure,” said committee chairman, Karen Bennett. “The village is very narrow and lots of low hanging trees, but the delivery guys were amazing and took it all in their stride.

“The community were also most kind and removed parked cars, and waited whilst the vehicle was slow through the tight spots. We had a small gathering of spectators taking photos and marking the occasion.”

The delivery of the cabin which will be the new home of the Tamar Valley Pantry coincided with the last day for local couple Adrian and Mandy Parkes who are retiring after 25 years running Harrowbarrow Post Office.

A spokesperson for Calstock Parish Council said: “We would like to thank Adrian and Mandy for supporting their community for so long. We wish them a happy and relaxing retirement.”

There has been a community shop in the village for more than a century but the arrival of the cabin heralds a new beginning in the community. The cabin occupies a footprint of approximately 100 square metres and will be clad with timber and sits alongside the village hall.

Karen Bennett, committee chairman, said: “It feels like a huge moment, so much time and effort has gone into getting us here, such a big community effort. The next month will be spent getting the space ready, moving furniture, building shelving, ordering stock and training staff. There is such a hub of activity, it’s quite daunting but with a team effort it all seems more achievable.”

Around 40 people have offered to volunteer in the shop, with training soon underway.

Karen said: “We are bringing people of all walks of life together for a common goal. We are building resilience as a community, people are supporting each other and learning new skills such as food handling and realising they have a place in our community and can contribute, and we will help them.

“All of these activities will draw people together to meet the needs of our rural community, particularly our older residents, many of whom face isolation. Their support will be helping us provide not just a shop, but a lifeline for connection, wellbeing and resilience.”

Karen added: “The biggest shout out we can ask for is for people to use the shop. Even £10 per household per week would make a huge difference. We need to earn enough money to cover our costs each month; any extra will eventually go towards community grants which will be available in time.”

A 'soft opening' of the new pantry is planned for the beginning of September, with a grand opening on Saturday, September 27.