About 9 years ago Denise, Pam, Janet, Dominic, Agata, Jules and I were brought together with an idea of having a ‘Unicorn Prestwich’ The vision was born - sustainable food, supporting local producers, ethically sourced products, working towards zero waste, whilst also being a community hub democratically run by the community.
It was a big vision. It took nearly 3 years of planning but we got there with the support of the local community. We raised just over £100,000 from people who shared our passion for sustainable food.
On the opening day in 2014, we had hundreds outside and our many members and shoppers continue to support us today. We have many fond memories of the early days, there were many teething problems of course and huge credit is owed to our original staff! We have continued to evolve and grow and I’m so proud to see staff, volunteers and the board taking us forward. The shop team work so hard, are so knowledgeable and even in challenging times they have a huge smile on their faces. They are like a big family and it’s touching to see.
It has been wonderful to see our customers comments of our response to the coronavirus. Our community ethos has shone and we are so proud to have been able to help the community.
It’s a diverse mix of people that have made Village Greens what it is today, the shop team, members, board, volunteers, community and customers and that’s why I think it works so well. We work hard behind the scenes donating to many good causes, food banks, working with Elms Bank school, Duke of Edinburgh awards, work experience, and much more!
At the weekend we celebrated our sixth birthday. Let’s hope we can continue to be part of this wonderful community for many more years to come.......
