Dear Hub Members, Patrons and Valley Residents!
Derek Brown Chairman
URC, Chapel High Road, Broad Chalke, Salisbury
Tel: 01722 780998
The Hub has been trading since June 2013, and until relatively recently has managed to hold its own but the current economic climate, the impact of the Covid pandemic and manpower issues have led to some significant financial problems and this is the reason for my letter to you all.
The model on which the Hub operates, to ensure that it can trade and make a small profit, which would of course be ploughed back into the business, is to have a mix of paid staff and a volunteer team to cover the opening hours. Ordinarily, to meet our existing 6 day opening, we would require a total of about 40 volunteers each week. We currently only have 27. This is due to “retirements” but also to the after-effects of the pandemic.
Consequently we have only been able to maintain the current opening times only by asking the paid part time staff to work additional hours. As a result, our staff costs have increased hugely during the last three years. The situation is exacerbated by increasing running costs, but equally, our sales levels have not grown sufficiently to cover these cost increases. In order to survive in the long term the shop needs your custom, even if only for a few basics to top up weekly shopping elsewhere.
In short, we need more of your business and more volunteers to help in the Hub, a valuable community asset, to succeed.
In order to reduce our losses, we reluctantly and with great regret, have to make a change to our opening hours. From 4 February the Hub will be closed at 1pm on Saturdays. If, as we would hope, more volunteers can be recruited and the Shop and Coffee Shop/Cafe sales increase to cover the costs we incur, then we will of course reverse this decision.
If you can find even two hours each week to volunteer in the shop or café we would be very grateful. Adequate training would be provided and there would be flexibility so you would not feel tied to the commitment.
Please contact Tony Patel by phone on 01722 780998 or by email at tony@chalkevalleystores.co.uk if you can help.
Derek Brown
Chairman, Chalke Valley Community Hub Limited