There were early morning celebrations on Lismore this week as islanders gathered for the re-opening of the island’s only store and post office as a community ownership business.
Almost half of Lismore’s population of 170 gathered on the narrow road outside the store at 8.30am on Tuesday November 21 to celebrate its opening with non-alcoholic prosecco and orange juice.
Lismore Community Trust (LCT) had initially set a target of raising £70,000 to take on the shop through community shares and other sources, but have far surpassed this by raising £80,000 and counting.
The island’s residents, holiday home owners and visitors to Lismore were asked to take up the share offer and duly delivered, with 232 contributors received to date.
This offer was launched on October 14 after a survey of the island’s residents, marking the start of a rapid take up rate of the shares over the last five weeks.
LCT had aimed to raise £70,000, calculating this would allow them to stock the shop, carry out refurbishments and have enough funds left for its first five years.
Despite the early hour, Lismore’s residents made their way along the island’s primary single track road to open up shop.
Roxanne MacColl has been working in the shop and has been appointed manager.
“Raising funds has been such a quick process and it’s wonderful to see. It gives people a sense of ownership over the shop, which is superb,” she said.
Brona MacDougall added: “The post office and shop have such an important role in making the island a viable place to live and numbers have been going down over the last 10 years.”
Andy Hough and Roger Dixon-Spain from LCT gave speeches in front of the store and thanked the large proportion of Lismore residents that had supported the takeover.
The community shop’s electric minibus transported some residents across the island, enabling them to take part in the ceremony.
Mr Dixon-Spain told The Oban Times: “It is just amazing we are here today at the opening after having a mountain to climb only a matter of weeks ago.
“It will provide something for the community to coalesce around and if we had lost it what would have been next? The church or the school? We wouldn’t have had a community.”
In April 2023, the business was put up for sale and Mr Dixon-Spain estimates around 120 people had attended an earlier meeting on its future in August, with 84 per cent voting in favour of a community buyout.
He added: “The community of ours has been through an awful four to five years and I see this as reviving ourselves and coming together as a community. I would like us to celebrate our generosity to each other because everyone has contributed to this and the £80,000 came from all of you.”
Prior to cutting the golden ribbon on the shop’s front door, LCT chairman Andy Hough said: “This has been done with breathtaking speed, tenacity and dedication. The biggest thanks go to everyone who have contributed, who have bought the shares and made donations.”
Donations can still be made to the Lismore Stores JustGiving page through visiting https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/lismore-stores