Broughton Village Store was purchased by Upper Tweed Community Enterprise in 2019, after being closed for a year. Shortly after opening, the store was hit by a second coronavirus outbreak and had to manage its operations through unknown times. It quickly became the backbone of the rural community, and by stocking local and fresh produce, the wider benefits were significant.
The new year brought another lockdown and the continuing challenge of running a busy village shop while keeping Covid safe. Getting supplies, difficult at the best of times in the remote location, became even more so when the frequency and length of trips had to be reduced as much as possible. Despite the ongoing obstacle course of Covid restrictions, the shop hopes to continue to develop and improve once the lockdown is lifted - of the 20 months of trading, almost 12 were during a pandemic, so it took time to adjust, but the shop still managed to support and supply a rural community. Many people visited the shop instead of going to larger supermarkets. The fresh, locally sourced produce made the shop very desirable to the local community.
Their MSP, Christine Grahame, has tabled a motion in the Scottish Parliament congratulating the village shop on its achievements in public welfare policy. In mid-January, the shop's management devised its own response to the much-maligned food parcels given to needy children elsewhere in the UK. Thanks to a generous donation, it was decided that the shop would provide a free lunch to any child who asked for it, with no forms or questions to complete. At the time of writing, the store serves between 15 and 20 free lunches a day. The announcement of this policy resulted in many more donations, totaling over £3000. The store has also re-introduced its Account Card Top-Up initiative, where families in need can use a store account card pre-loaded with £20 each week. Broughton Village Store, in conjunction with volunteers from the Upper Tweed Resilient Communities Group (UTRCG), began offering a home delivery service to people in the area who were affected by COVID-19 and needed to limit their contact with others. This was a free service that was invaluable to many.
Broughton Village Store stocks local produce from the surrounding area including fresh rolls, meats, pies, vegetables, bakery products, Broughton Ales, and much more. Most of the items in the shop are sourced locally, supporting local producers. For example, at Christmas, wreaths made by a local woman are available. The Community Enterprise holds an annual general meeting where members and shareholders can discuss and shape the future of the shop to best meet the needs of those who use it and, in some cases, rely on it.