MORE than 400 villagers from the outskirts of York have collectively raised £52,000 to safeguard the future of their only local village shop and post office by buying it.

Residents in Huby and Sutton-on-the-Forest rallied together in March this year in a bid to raise £40,000 to buy Huby Village Shop through a Community Benefit Society.

The village store and post office had been owned by husband and wife team David and Lesley Barker for more than 26 years, however when Mrs Barker died last September, Mr Barker decided it was time to retire.

A surge of support to save the shop came forward, and within weeks 420 people from Huby and Sutton raised more than £52,000 though a community shares and bonds prospectus.

Sutton Community Shop ltd has now been set up as a not-for-profit company, chaired by businesswoman Denise Howard.

The company has taken over running the village store and post office, renaming it Barkers of Huby in tribute to its former owners.

Mrs Howard said: "David, his daughters and grand-children still live in the village, and re-naming the shop Barkers of Huby was a nice way of recognizing the 26 years of service to the village by David and Lesley."

Last week more than 100 shareholders met for a celebration outside the shop to mark the takeover, with a group photograph, cake cutting and a surprise presentation to Mr Barker on behalf of all the villagers from long time resident and friend Willie Anderson.

Mr Barker said "I knew about the group photo tonight but the rest of it was a complete surprise.

"Some of my family travelled to be here tonight so I should have realized something was up.

"One of Lesley’s last wishes was that the shop should be community owned and I can’t thank Denise and her management committee and all the volunteers enough for what they have done. Lesley would have been very happy to see this."

Barkers of Huby is run with paid post office staff and a group of 40 volunteers working to keep it open 7 days a week.

Villagers took inspiration for their community benefit society from Stillington Stores and Post Office, which has been community owned for more than 11 years.