Rathdangan village in Co Wicklow is a small rural community that lost its only shop in 2007. It is located 12km from the nearest town of Baltinglass, so the area is somewhat isolated. A survey conducted by the community council found that the top thing the community wanted was some sort of a shop and somewhere people could meet.

The Village Pantry is a volunteer-run tea room, set up in what was once an unused space next to the community hall. Opening from 10.30am to 2pm on Monday and 10.30 to 12.30 every other day, The Pantry has established a link with Gillespie’s SuperValu in Baltinglass to do a free daily delivery service. One year on, it is a huge success and the idea has even been replicated in a neighbouring village.

Tess Love

Volunteer manager

On setting up: “We were awarded €2,000 by Wicklow County Council, which runs a scheme every year for voluntary organisations. They thought our initiative was so good we got one of the top prizes. The community council itself also sponsored us, giving us an initial budget of €1,500 to get set up. The counter and some of the shelves were sponsored by a kitchen maker and people donated their china cups. It took three weeks of painting and cleaning to get the place ready. The insurance for the community hall covered The Pantry, but we had to get different insurance for the volunteers.”

And how does it work? “We have about 27 volunteers who come regularly and we ask everyone to do three hours. We do a hot meal on a Monday which is why we stay open a bit later then. We just got a proper coffee machine and all our baked goods are made locally. We have lots of local products, honey, crafts, beauty products made from nettles and a local boy sells his eggs with us.”

John Cullen

Community council chair

On the benefits: “When the shop went, life in the village slowed down and the social interaction went with it, because you wouldn’t even be able to meet someone when you called to get the paper. The Pantry is the heart of the village at the moment. It’s genuinely amazing the amount of people just passing through who have come to know The Pantry as a place to stop, particularly cyclists. So much is happening in the hall now that Rathdangan has even got its own section in the local paper.”

Colin Jackson,

Manager, Gillespie’s

SuperValu, Baltinglass

“The community council asked me to a meeting because they wanted advice on setting up a small shop and I live in the area. But times are tough for small shops now, it’s too expensive. So I suggested that they email in their orders to me every day and that I do a daily delivery every morning at around half nine. This isn’t a money-making venture for us, it costs us time and fuel, but it fits in with the SuperValu ethos of supporting local people.”

Maureen Wilson

Crafts maker

“I love selling my crafts at The Pantry as it is lovely to get feedback and there’s always something to be saving for. One of my crafts is a little cottage design from mesh plastic and wool, and it’s actually a tissue box, the tissues come out through the chimney. I also make pin cushions out of pine cones and I knit tea cosies and hats.

“I depend on The Pantry for my shopping. The volunteers even drop it up to me if the weather is bad. The Pantry is really bringing the community back together and you feel like a part of the family. It’s the only bit of socialising I do and it’s just brilliant to have somewhere to meet people, have a joke and get some news.”